Clinging to the Wreckage
by kittenamos
Summary: After Alec and Magnus' wedding, they had hoped that people would stop interfering and criticizing their relationship. When Alec gets offered the job as Inquisitor in Alicante they realized how wrong they would be (Filling in the one-year gap we were given with Magnus and Alec's storyline in the last episode).
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

With a small smile plastered on his face, Magnus climbed up the last flight of stairs to reach the floor where the apartment that he shared with Alexander resided. The smile only grew as he thought about his husband who was waiting for him. It had been a busy week for the Head of the New York Institute, and Alec had promised to make it up to him for their lack of 'couple time' by coming home early.

The weeks leading up to the wedding with his Shadowhunter had been fret with a whirlwind of emotions and heartache. Starting with him losing his position as High Warlock and then with everything that followed with Lilith, Jonathan, and Asmodeus, Magnus was ecstatic to find himself back with Alexander and starting their lives together as a married couple.

Exiting the stairwell, Magnus hummed softly to himself as thoughts of tonight's activities with his husband filled his mind. His satchel bag was bouncing lightly against his hip as he walked, and his fingers strummed against the bag's soft material; inside were the leftover ingredients that he had collected from his office for his house call with one of his clients.

He continued down the hallway and gave off a bright smile as he felt himself drawing closer to Alexander and their comfy bed, which would hopefully play a large part in their night together.

Magnus snapped his fingers to allow his front door to fly open, permitting him to enter without having to slow his stride and could instantly hear the sound of his husband talking in the living room.

Stepping around the corner, the warlock's flirty comment lodged in his throat when he skidded to a halt and his heart skipped a beat as his eyes came to rest on Jace's grandmother.

"Oh, Imogen," Magnus said, forcing the words through his clenched jaw and strained a grin for their unexpected guest. The last time he had been face-to-face with the elderly Inquisitor was when he had found himself locked away in the basement of the New York Institute, trapped inside Valentine's body.

He remembered feeling the cold metal of the dagger pressing against his throat before hearing Alec rushing in to stop his would-have-been execution. Seeing the woman again now, inside his apartment, Magnus couldn't help the feeling of dread seeping through his veins. "What are you doing here?"

Sensing the tension growing in the room, Alec stepped up to the Downworlder and rested a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, Mags. She's not here for you."

Magnus sent him a questioning look, but before Alec could explain further, Inquisitor Herondale spoke up.

"I just came by to mention the good news to Alec in person," the woman stated, her eyes lingering on her fellow Shadowhunter before drifting over to address Magnus. "The Clave is impressed with everything your friend has accomplished in his short time as Head of his Institute. So, seeing as I am going to be retiring soon, Alexander is being offered the position of Inquisitor."

Alec could feel Magnus' eyes lingering on him, and his skin prickled at the back of this neck under the stare.

"Well, I should go," Mrs. Herondale continued and started to move pass the couple in the direction of the front door. "There are a few things I still need to check on back at the Institute before I leave. The Clave will be expecting to hear from you shortly." She paused briefly to meet Alec's eyes with a stare stronger than he could stand. "The Clave does not like to be kept waiting."

Alec nodded and held her gaze until she turned back to head out. "Would Magnus be welcomed in Alicante?" Alec asked, causing the Inquisitor to stop in her tracks, foiling her attempt at departing.

Turning back with a tight smile, Mrs. Herondale narrowed her eyes to mere slits – a much deadlier look than before – staring back at him through the small opening between her eyelids. "You know the rules, Mr. Lightwood. Downworlders are not permitted in Idris."

Her tone made Magnus shiver; she spoke as if he should know that he were under her in every way imaginable. The warlock swallowed nervously under the woman's intense stare. Alec's fingers, which were still resting on his shoulder, began to curl up before releasing and repeating, softly massaging him. The muscles in his back and shoulders relaxed under the comforting touch.

"Then I don't need to think about it. I'm not moving anywhere without my _husband_," Alec corrected her pointedly. "Let alone going someplace where he won't even be allowed to visit." A warm feeling swept through Magnus at the man's words.

"Mr. Lightwood," Imogen started, her voice taking on her customary demanding tone. "You are one of the select few that are being considered for this position. I highly suggest that you–"

"The Clave has been aware of my relationship with Magnus since the beginning," Alec interrupted, his voice rising in the process. "Why you thought I would suddenly jump at this opportunity and simply move away from him is absurd."

Inquisitor Herondale held Alec's gaze, a mixture of anger and resentment in her features. "Fine," she practically growled in their direction. "I'll discuss the matter with the council and see if we can't come to some kind of agreement. We'll be in touch." And with that, she turned on her heels and was out the door.

Hearing the sound of the door slamming shut behind their visitor, Magnus took a step away from Alec. Slipping his satchel bag off his shoulder, he tossed it onto the nearby couch.

"What are you going to do?" Magnus asked as he turned around to face the Shadowhunter.

Alec frowned and scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Magnus let out a soft sigh as he leaned against the back of the couch and folded his arms across his chest. "Look, do I want you to move away? Of course not, but this is a huge opportunity for you, Alexander. I really think you should at least consider it."

"You want me to take the job?" Alec was stunned, the surprise written clearly on his face. "Even if it means moving away from you?"

"You thought about moving away before," Magnus reminded him. "When you got the offer to join the council."

Alec shook his head. "Things were different between us then, Magnus. You're my husband now. I'm not–"

"I know," Magnus said, interrupting him with another sigh. "I know, Alexander, but think of all the good you could do as Inquisitor. All the discrimination that still goes on between the Shadowhunters and the Downworlders . . . You could change all of that, Alec." As he talked, the warlock slowly stepped up in front of the Shadowhunter again and reached to take one of Alec's hands in both of his. "And the first law you could work on changing could be letting Downworlders into Idris. I'd be able to join you then."

"No, Magnus . . . It could take months to get the law changed, and the council has to vote and agree on getting it passed. Knowing the Clave, it could take years to get them to even consider agreeing to a change like that." Alec sighed looking down at his and Magnus' interlocking hands and ran his thumb over the warlock's wedding ring. "Would you really be okay with being separated for that long just so I could get the job?"

"I didn't say it would be easy, but whether you're in Idris or in New York, I'm not going anywhere."

A smirk flashed across Alec's face for a moment at the memory of the last time Magnus had said that exact line. "Look, Imogen said she was going to talk to the other council members and see about making an exception for you. Before we discuss this any farther, lets wait and see what information she comes back with."

Something about that statement seemed to upset the warlock a little, and Alec moved to cup Magnus' face with his free hand.

"Hey, I'm not going anywhere without you. Okay?" he whispered, hoping to rid the anxiety from his husband's eyes and leaned forward to place a short, soft kiss on the warlock's lips.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

With their swords gleaming in the warm sunlight, Alec shuffled to the side as Jace's blade came down just inches from making contact with his shoulder. With a low grunt, the blonde repositioned his feet and prepared to strike at his parabatai once more. Sweat was already matting their t-shirts to their skins in places.

Jace stumbled back a step, breathing hard. Finding a pause in their training, Alec took the opportunity to wipe the back of his hand across his wet forehead, successfully preventing some of the liquid from running into his eyes.

"You okay?" Alec huffed, short of breath.

The blonde shook his head in an attempt to brush off his parabatai's concern. "I'm fine."

"Really? Because it feels like you're somewhere else right now." Alec narrowed his eyes, chest still heaving. "If this is about Clary–"

"I said I'm fine, Alec," Jace snapped. Turning his head away from his adapted brother's concerned face, he lowered his voice. "It's just . . . hard. Not being allowed to see her."

Alec relaxed his tense muscles as he studied the blonde's rejected stance. "I get it," he sighed. Jace sent him a look, and Alec shook his head quickly. "Okay, maybe I don't completely understand . . . but you are my parabatai, Jace. I can feel how much you're hurting. If there was anything I could do–"

"But there isn't," he cried, his voice rising for a moment again. "I'm sorry. It just isn't fair. The angels gave her her rune abilities, and then they took away her memories of the Shadow World because she chose to use them to save everyone from Jonathan. I mean . . ." Jace waved his arms in exasperation. "How does that make any sense?"

"It's not for us to question the will of the Angels," Alec stated slowly, and angled his head as he studied his distraught brother.

Jace let out a heavy sigh, nodding his head slowly before locking eyes with Alec again. "So," Jace breathed out in an attempt to change the subject. "What did Mrs. Herondale want to speak to you about last night? My grandmother's not giving you a hard time again, is she?" he asked with a smirk while fidgeting with his grip on his weapon.

Alec gave a small shrug. "She wanted to discuss the job opening with me," he explained and then frowned at the confused look that crossed Jace's face. "She didn't tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Jace asked, shaking his head slightly.

"Imogen is planning on retiring soon. The Clave is looking for a new Inquisitor to take her place."

"Wait," Jace exclaimed as he shuffled his stance, a grin playing on his lips at the news. "Are you saying that . . . She offered you the job?"

Alec awkwardly avoided his brother's stare and switched his blade to his other hand, before whipping his moist palm on his jeans. "I don't think I can take it."

"What do you mean? Alec, this is huge. Think of all the stuff you've already accomplished as the Head of New York Institute alone. You could do great things as Inquisitor."

"It would mean moving to Idris."

Alec watched as his parabatai's thrilled expression faltered and the rejected look in his eyes reminded him of when he had initially told Jace before his wedding that he was going to be moving in with Magnus.

"Well, I won't argue, that will be tough on our bond," Jace admitted slowly. "But it's not like we can't visit each other all the time and of course we would keep in touch–"

"I know, but that's not the only reason I'm hesitating about taking this position," Alec expressed.

Twirling his seraph blade in the palm of his hand, Alec shuffled his feet into a fighting stance; the only warning Jace received before he swung the blade. The blonde raised his weapon just in time to reflect the attack, causing a soft 'clang' to sound.

"I have Magnus to think about as well," Alec explained.

"What?" Jace breathed out, straining against the pressure pushing against his wrists. Pressing forward, he forced Alec back a step and shuffled his stance, this time preparing himself for the next strike. "Magnus doesn't want to move?"

"We're not sure yet if he _can_ come with me," Alec stressed the issue. Taking quick steps forward, he swung his weapon back-and-forth, attempting to find an opening as Jace backed up, guarding against each swing. "With the law banning Downworlders from entering Idris, the Clave seemed to have forgotten to take into consideration that I am married to one."

* * *

Later that afternoon, Alec found himself back in his office going through reports. It was tedious work, but the sooner he could get it done, the sooner he could make his way home to his husband.

Today, though, he discovered he was actually enjoying the ridiculous repetition of going through the files as for the first time all day, both his hands and mind were being kept busy and he was able to fully immerse himself in his work instead of fretting about his and Magnus' future.

Alec was just reaching for the next folder from the still towering stack sitting on his desk when his relatively calm state of mind was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Come in," he called out, as he flipped open the file and started to run his eyes over the words it contained.

Alec heard the sound of the door being opened and then closing softly behind the intruder, followed by a few soft footsteps on the carpeted floor. It wasn't until Alec could sense his visitor standing in front of his desk that he looked up from his work to find Inquisitor Herondale staring down at him with her customary blank expression.

"Mrs. Herondale," Alec greeted, making sure to keep his voice in a friendly tone and leaned back in his chair. "I wasn't expecting to see you back so soon."

"Well, like I said, you are one of the Clave's top choices for this position and we need a decision from you in the next couple of days." The Inquisitor lightly held the clasped envelope she had in both of her hands, taping her fingers against it rhythmically for a moment.

"The council was up for most of the night discussing your situation with Magnus, and after deliberating for most of the day, we have a proposition for you."

As she handed over the pastel orange envelope to Alec, he studied the woman questioningly before letting his eyes drift towards the open doors on the other side of his office that led out to the balcony. He had opened them to let in some fresh air before he had sat down to start working through the stack of files.

Gazing out towards the horizon, he was surprised to see that the sun was starting to disappear. It was later than he had thought, almost twenty-four hours since the Inquisitor's last visit.

Turning back to the envelope, Alec undid the clasp and slipped out the single piece of paper that rested inside. The image of the Angelic Rune, which was shown on all of the Clave's official documents, was present at the top of the page. He quickly read over the words.

**The Accords**

**Declaration of Downworlder Rights Inside Alicante**

Under the decree of the Clave, Magnus Bane, ward of Alec Lightwood, is permitted to enter and live within the walls of Alicante as long as the following guidelines are respected.

_\- The Downworlder will not be permitted to roam freely around the island without his guardian. A select list of places will be giving that he can enter without his guardian._

_\- The Downworlder will be free to come and go from Alicante as he wishes. _

_\- The Downworlder will not be permitted to step foot inside the Gard or the Accords Hall under any circumstances. _

_\- The Downworlder will not be permitted the use of magic outside of his apartment under any circumstances. _

_\- The Downworlder must be under his own roof by nightfall. He will not be permitted to roam the streets of Alicante after dark with or without his guardian. _

_\- Should the Downworlder abuse or misuse any of these rights listed, his stay in Alicante will be thus terminated permanently. _

"And who would you have be his Guardian?" Alec questioned with a tone that bordered on annoyance, glancing up from the piece of paper to lock eyes with the elderly Inquisitor with a frown.

"Well, seeing as you would be residing with him, the Clave thought it would be most fitting for you to be his Guardian," she stated calmly. The sullen expression on her face refused to break in the slightest.

Alec's jaw clenched at the meaning of her words. Getting up from his seat, he made his way around his desk to stand in front of the hateful woman. "I'm not his Guardian," he practically growled through his teeth. "I'm his husband."

Unfazed, Mrs. Herondale tilted her head to the side as she studied Alec through narrowed eyes. "I would have thought you would be thrilled. The council has agreed to allow your warlock to accompany you into Idris."

Choosing to ignore the woman's hateful tone, Alec waved the document in between them in disbelief. "But Magnus has more rights then this under the traditional Accords."

"Mr. Lightwood," Imogen stated pointedly. "As you are very much aware, Downworlders have been banned from entering Idris since the city was built. When the citizens living in Alicante hear about this predicament, you can bet no one is going to be happy about it. As you can imagine, the council did not come to this decision lightly. You don't know how lucky you are that the Clave has even permitted you this much. I suggest you take this all into consideration."

Looking back over the list of rules that Magnus would have to adhere by if he agreed to take on the Inquisitor position, Alec wanted to turn down the job immediately but he knew that Magnus would be upset if he made this kind of decision without discussing it with him; no matter what the reason may be, he had to consult with Magnus about it first.

With sigh, Alec turned back to Imogen. "I need to discuss all of this with my husband before I agree to anything."

"Of course," Mrs. Herondale agreed with a nod before gesturing towards the document that was still in Alec's hand. "If you decide to take the job, you and Magnus would both need to sign the bottom of the page, and you can send it back to us in a fire message."

* * *

Please leave a review! I would love to hear what you think so far. Hope you are enjoying the story.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

"Well, knowing the Clave, I can't say I'm very surprised," Magnus sighed as he studied the condemning document that Alec had reluctantly handed over to him when he arrived home.

Magnus was sitting at their kitchen table with one of his elbows propped up on its surface, supporting his head. The single sheet of paper was lying in front of him as he pouted at the words, while Alec sat next to him with a dejected expression.

"Honestly, the one that upsets me the most is not being allowed to use my magic freely," the warlock admitted, tapping his finger under the offending rule on the list. "It's only been a couple weeks since I got my powers back from when Asmodeus made me give them up to save Jace." Magnus gave a rejected shrug. "They might as well just take them away again."

"It doesn't say you _can't_ use them–"

"Just not in public," the Downworlder interrupted, avoiding his eyes. "They might as well have said I can't use them at all."

"I don't have to take the job, Magnus," Alec reminded him with a reassuring tone and comfortingly rubbed his hand against the warlock's forearm.

"And then who would get the position?" Magnus questioned, apprehension showing in his eyes. Finally turning to face his husband, he let his arm fall to rest on the table. "Imogen once ordered Jace to place tracking chips in all of the Downworlders in New York. Aldertree wanted to inject heavenly fire into our drinking water to turn all the Downworlders into mundanes. Alexander, if you don't get this job . . ." He shook his head, unable to finish the thought.

"But _this_ wouldn't be fair to _you_," Alec stressed, tapping a finger angrily against the piece of paper. "Magnus, I can't ask you to make this kind of sacrifice for me."

Magnus shook his head again, more aggressively this time. "You didn't ask me to, Alec. I want to."

Alec studied his husband's expression, searching for any signs of resentment towards him for putting him into this predicament, but he didn't find any. Magnus' features were expressionless except for a determined light shining in the warlock's eyes. He wasn't going to let him back out of this.

"Are you sure about this?" Alec asked, needing to hear Magnus' reassurance that it was going to be alright.

"Alexander . . ." Magnus sent him a small smirk and placed his hand over Alec's that was still touching his arm. "It's because you sound so upset about this that makes me okay with it. It tells me that you are going to do everything you can to try and change this law as soon as possible."

Snapping his fingers, a pen appeared in the warlock's hand and with the slightest hesitation, he signed his name at the bottom of the document before offering the writing utensil to Alec.

With one last concerned look into the Downworlder's eyes, Alec took the pen out of his husband's hand and quickly signed the paper before sending it off with the fire rune.

* * *

The next morning, Alec texted both his sister and parabatai to ask them to meet him in his office.

"So . . . you're really going?" Jace asked with a small frown. Leaning forward in one of the available chairs in the room, he rested his elbows on his knees.

"This afternoon, most likely." Alec sighed and leaned back in his office chair. "I won't officially be starting until Monday, but Mrs. Herondale wants me to arrive earlier so she can get me up-to-date on all of the open case files that she was dealing with."

"Do you need help packing or anything?" Izzy asked from the chair to Jace's right.

Alec sent her a small smile in appreciation before shaking his head. "Magnus is going to be teleporting his loft to Alicante. He's already giving up so much in order to follow the Clave's strict guidelines. The least I can do is let him keep his apartment," Alec explained, before leaning forward in his chair, over his desk. "Jace, I wanted to talk to you about possibly taking over this position; Head of the New York Institute."

Jace sat up straight in his seat at his parabatai's words and a look of surprise morphed onto his face. "Me?"

Alec nodded slowly. "You've taken over for me occasionally in the past; on my days off. You know what the job requires. It's up to you, but–"

Jace quickly shook his head. "Look, I appreciate the offer, Alec. Really, it's just . . ." The blonde's eyes lowered towards his lap as he worked on getting his thoughts together. "I'm still hung up on everything that has happened with Clary. I already feel like my work in the field is suffering due to the heartache. The Institute needs to have a Head that can handle all the responsibility that comes with the job. I'm not in the right state of mind currently to be able to take all of that on right now."

Alec nodded in sympathy. "I understand. If you feel like you need some more time off–"

"No," Jace sighed, interrupting his adopted brother's offer. "Staying busy helps. I want to be here."

"What about you?" Alec asked, turning his gaze back to his little sister.

Izzy blinked in surprise and shifted slightly in her seat. "Me? As Head of the Institute?"

"Isabelle . . . You are strong, confident, one of the best fighters we have here," Alec expressed.

"You are one of the best Shadowhunters I know," Jace added, turning his head to the side to look at her. "Alec's right. I believe you are fully capable of taking on this job. And if you need any help, I can lend a hand every now and then."

Izzy sent Jace a bright smile for his encouraging words before turning back to Alec. "When do I start?"

* * *

Magnus was sitting cross-legged on the living room couch when Alec got home that afternoon. The box where the warlock kept his mementos from his past lovers was sitting open on the coffee table in front of him, along with a few things that Alec recognized from their own relationship.

Closing the door quietly behind him, the Shadowhunter stepped farther into the room, expecting his husband to raise his head in greeting. Instead, Magnus kept his gaze on the red and yellow omamori charm that he currently had in his hands. The man appeared to be lost in his thoughts as he ran one of his thumbs over the fabric. As Alec watched, he could have sworn he saw a slight tremor in his husband's hands.

"Magnus?" Alec asked softly, hoping to pull Magnus out of his head.

The warlock jumped slightly in surprise, his round eyes and stiff posture quickly melting away after seeing his husband standing in the archway.

"Are you okay?" Alec frowned in concern as he approached the warlock and slowly slid into the open spot on the couch next to him.

Magnus nodded as he shuffled his sitting position, moving one leg to the ground while keeping his other foot tucked under his thigh. "Yeah, I guess I'm just a little . . . apprehensive about the move."

"There is still time to back out if you want too, Mags," Alec tried to reassure his husband and placed a hand on the warlock's wrist. "We don't have to go."

"Alexander Gideon Lightwood," Magnus stated, drowning out the name slowly. "I am four hundred years old. I have survived through things much worse than this before, and have come out fine. We are going to Alicante, and you are going to be an amazing Inquisitor."

Alec gave him a small smile before leaning forward to give the warlock a quick kiss on his temple. "Alright," he sighed, letting the matter go. "If you insist."

Returning the gesture with a smirk, Magnus went back to looking through his box of treasures.

"Did you have a chance to see Madzie and Cat today?" Alec asked, remembering that his husband had expressed an interest in seeing them before leaving for Idris.

A glazed over look crossed Magnus' face at the question.

_With her head resting on Magnus' lap, Madzie squealed as the older warlock tickled her on her side and she wiggled around in delight._

_"Maaaagnus!" the little girl cried trying to draw air into her lungs. _

_Sensing this, Magnus relented in his attack on the girl's body, allowing her a chance to catch her breath and let out a short laugh of his own at Madzie's breathless expression._

_"Do you have to go to Idris?" the little girl asked once she had gotten her breath back and stared up at him. _

_A sad smile crossed Magnus' face as he stared down at the child and ran his fingers through her hair. "I'm afraid so, Madzie. Alec is going to need me."_

_"But I'd miss you . . . and Alec."_

_"Oh, trust me, Sweet Pea," Magnus promised, lifting her up and turning her around so she could kneel on the couch cushion next to him. "Alec and I are going to be coming by to visit you all the time." He was rewarded with yet another giggle as he bopped her on the nose with his finger. _

_"Go wash up, Madzie. Lunch is going to be ready soon," Cat called over as she entered the room, interrupting the two's moment. _

_Madzie obliged her guardian and jumped up from the couch. "Can Magnus stay for lunch?"_

_"If he wants to."_

_When the child was out of earshot, Cat took a seat next to her old friend. "You have thought this through, right?" Cat asked, lowering her voice just in case._

_"I have thought about it a lot over the last couple of days. It's pretty much been the only thing on my mind lately," Magnus admitted. Noticing her hands kneading together nervously in her lap, he placed a comforting hand over her's. _

_"I don't know about this, Magnus. I mean . . . you are going to be placing yourself right into the Clave's clutches. What if–"_

_"Alec is going to look out for me, Cat," he tried to reassure his stressed-out friend and gave her hands a squeeze. "He'll make sure everything is okay, and that the other residences of Idris aren't tormenting me."_

_"You're forgetting the fact that Alec is going to be taking office," Cat pleaded. "As Inquisitor, you know he is going to have to put in long hours at work and dealing with Clave meetings. _Not to mention having to check in personally to all the Institutes around the world on occasions._ There are going to be hours, possibly even days at a time, when Alec won't be around to help you if something happens." _

_Magnus raised an eyebrow at his long time friend, and forced his reply out in a sarcastic tone despite the growing anxiety spinning around in his gut as her concerns started to mix with the ones he was already having. "Are you saying I can't take care of myself?"_

_"Not if you aren't allowed to use your magic around the city!" Cat stressed, not noticing the tall tell sign of dread at her words showing in his eyes. "Magnus . . . I doubt the Clave would take pity on you if you used your magic in self-defense in or outside of your apartment. They won't see it as you protecting yourself. All they would see is the wounded Shadowhunters that you attacked in their city." _

_ Before Magnus could say anything else, they heard the water shut off in the bathroom and the sound of the door opening brought the two adults to their feet._

_"So, are you staying for lunch, Magnus?" Madzie asked with a bright smile as she reappeared around the corner._

"Yeah, I just got back from Catarina's place a few hours ago." Magnus nodded his head as his thoughts drifted back to the present.

"How did they take the news?"

The corner of Magnus' mouth lifted as an image of the young warlock entered his mind. "Madzie doesn't want us to leave. Says she's going to miss us. I promised her we'd visit her all the time. As for Cat . . ." His face fell as the name left his lips.

"She has some concerns about you going?" Alec guessed.

The warlock nodded in conformation. "She was obviously worried about my decision to come with you, as I knew she'd be, but I'm glad I stopped by to see them today. It wouldn't have been right to leave without telling them what was going on."

Alec nodded in agreement, and placed a hand on his husband's shoulder in support.

After a moment of silence, the Shadowhunter let out a heavy sigh. "Was there anything else you wanted to do before we moved?"

"No," Magnus let out in a breath with a short shake of his head and got to his feet. "Let's get this over with."

The Downworlder moved as if he was heading towards the front door before stopping and spinning back around a couple feet from the archway.

"Hold on," he warned his husband before raising his arms, palms facing forward.

Thrusting his hands forward in a quick gesture, a glowing ball of blue energy appeared in front of each of his hands. With another quick movement, the warlock shoved the palms of his hands close together, forcing the glowing orbs to connect with each other. Alec turned away as the blue energy seemed to explode, filling the apartment with a magical mist.

Glancing up again once the energy died down some, Alec caught sight of the Downworlder completing a few more quick gestures, pushing the colorful balls of energy that were still in his hands down towards the floor and then acted out a twisting motion with his wrists as he moved his hands upward. Once more, the room filled up with the warlock's magic, this time causing the space to morph and sway in front Alec's eyes before finally reforming back into his familiar surroundings.

Well . . . not completely familiar.

Out of the corner of his eye, instead of the tall, gray structures that Alec had become accustomed with from living in New York City, he caught sight of the recognizable tall, silver-white towers that seemed to shoot up into the sky, which were the reasons for why Alicante was dubbed as the "city of glass."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Not a bad view," Magnus commented, coming up behind Alec who was leaning against the railing out on the balcony and handed him one of the drinks that was in his hands. "Those demon towers are impressive."

Alec nodded in agreement at his husband's observation as he accepted the offered glass.

"So, what is the plan for tomorrow? Are you going to be meeting with Mrs. Herondale?" Magnus asked, mimicking Alec's position against the railing.

Alec took a sip from his drink before responding. "Yeah, she's going to be introducing me to some of the employees that I will be working with day-to-day and start showing me what exactly the whole job entails."

"Are you nervous at all about the new job?" the warlock asked, tapping his nails lightly against his glass.

Alec shrugged. "A little, I guess. I don't think it's going to be all that different then what I was doing before, just now instead of looking after one Institute I'll have to keep an eye on what's going on everywhere."

"So . . . more paperwork?"

Alec chuckled at that. "There will probably be more late nights," he agreed before glancing up at the Downworlder and shaking his head. "The job is not what I'm worried about. It's . . ."

"Me?" Magnus asked softly, helping his husband finish his sentence that he let hang. "Being here?"

"Just promise me that you'll be careful," Alec said, not bothering to try and deny Magnus' question. "Just stick to the Clave's rules. I promise, I'm going to try and get you more freedom here once I'm able to officially take office on Monday, but in the meantime–"

"I'll be fine, Alexander," Magnus tried again to reassure his obviously apprehensive husband. "I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry about me all the time."

Magnus watched as Alec nodded slowly at his words. Brushing off his worry for the time being, Alec finished off his drink before turning to head back inside the apartment.

"You know, we still have a few hours before sunset," Alec said over his shoulder. "Why don't we head Downtown? We could do some shopping for paint, furniture . . . whatever else you will need for the apartment."

"Paint?"

Hearing the puzzlement in his husband's voice, Alec turned back to face him with a grin. "Yeah, back when we first met, you said that after each move you always get the itch to redecorate," he reminded his warlock.

Magnus couldn't help but smirk as he remembered the moment when Alec, Jace, Izzy, and Clary had come to him looking to retrieve the redhead's childhood memories. That seemed so long ago now.

"You know me too well," Magnus sighed under his breath so Alec couldn't hear. Strolling back inside, he set his drink down on one of the side tables before stepping up to cup Alec's cheek in his hand. "You know, when I first met you, I had no idea you were going to become this important to me."

Still smiling, the Shadowhunter grabbed onto the front of his husband's shirt and pulled him closer to give him a quick, soft kiss on his lips.

"Come on," Alec said, resting his hand on the warlock's shoulder for a moment. "We should get going before it gets any later."

Leaving the apartment, Alec used the lock rune on their apartment door before leading Magnus outside for his first adventure around the city.

Just like in New York, the buildings in Alicante towered over them as Magnus followed his husband down the unfamiliar streets. The silver-white demon towers were nothing compared to the gray buildings of the rest of the city.

Whenever they passed by one of these crystalized structures, Magnus found himself trying to stare up at the top of the massive things, but they seemed to disappear into the clouds overhead. More than once, Alec had to grab his hand and gently steer him around a trash can or other walking patrons in the city. He even nearly walked right into one of the gray business buildings when he wasn't watching where he was going. He was only a few feet from walking head first into the solid structure when the Downworlder felt his husband's hands on his shoulders pulling him to a stop.

"I know they're impressive, Magnus, but trust me. You are never going to be able to see the tops of them." Alec let out a soft chuckle. "Please, try and keep your eyes in front of you. The last thing we want is you getting hurt on our first night here."

After that, Magnus did his best to keep himself occupied by watching the activities that were going on around them as they headed downtown towards the home décor store Alec had mentioned. Passing by a few restaurants and fast food joints, Magnus felt most of his apprehension about moving into the Shadowhunter's city wash away for the time being as the delicious smells rolled out of the open doors.

Magnus tried to ignore the reactions and faces that everyone was sending his way as he walked side-by-side with Alec. Everywhere they went, people seemed to stop and stare at him and he could have sworn he heard them whispering about him to their friends when they thought they were out of earshot. He knew without a doubt that if Alec hadn't been by his side the whole time, someone would have certainly have approached him by now to question him about what he was doing in Alicante. It made it hard to forget that he was the only one of his kind in this whole city, and probably would be for a while.

Turning another corner in the downtown district, Alec finally paused in front of a double door that read _'Finish Outright'_. Holding the door open, Alec allowed Magnus to step inside before him, the cool air from the air conditioning system hitting them instantly.

The first thing that Magnus noticed about the space was the size of the open floor plan, and inside of the cemented room were all kinds of furniture. Along the walls to their left and right, the owners had set up displays of different arrangements to show off some ideas on what the available options that you could purchase would look like inside your home, while in the center of the space lined rows and rows of the chairs, couches, beds, tables, and everything else that was available to purchase.

"Think this will work?" Alec asked, eyeing Magnus' expression with a smirk.

Magnus nodded slowly. "I think I could find something here."

"There's also a paint card display in the back left corner and a window were someone can retrieve your selection from the storage room in the back, and in the corner on the far right is where you can find the different curtain designs," Alec explained pointing towards the various locations as he talked before glancing back at the warlock. "Where do you want to start?"

"The paints," Magnus answered immediately.

Taking his hand, Alec led Magnus towards the back of the store. They passed a few other customers who were roaming the aisles, testing out some of the furniture. Most of them didn't even look up, too busy shopping to pay attention to the lone warlock in their midst.

As they drew closer to the far left corner of the room, Magnus caught sight of the two, long, white display racks that lined against the left wall horizontally. Both sides of each rack were lined with rows of pockets with the paint cards sticking out. They were lined up in the colors of the rainbow.

On the front of the first rack were all different shades of red and orange, while on the other side of it they found yellows and greens. The second rack had an arrangement of blues and purples on one side with whites and blacks on the back.

With Alec by his side, Magnus started to look through the reds and oranges on the first display, pulling out a few of the paint swatches as he went.

"I don't know about the oranges," Alec suddenly spoke up as he noticed Magnus pick up one of the color hues.

"You don't like orange?" Magnus asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

Alec shrugged in response. "I think it would be too bright on the walls."

The warlock studied the strip of colors in his hand before sliding the orange card back in its place. "Maybe. What about green? Or blue?" Magnus asked, and headed around to the other side of the rack, disappearing from Alec's view.

"A blue could be nice in the living room," Alec admitted, considering the shades on the few cards he had in his hands.

After another moment of scanning the reds and oranges, the Shadowhunter followed the warlock to the next selections . . . only to find Magnus standing with his back to him facing a corner in between the aisles. Blue sparks of energy were wrapping around the Downworlders hands while a rough, slightly transparent model of their living room floated in front of him. Just as Alec was taking this scene in, Magnus snapped his fingers and the once yellow walls on the model turned to a dark shade of green.

"Magnus," Alec hissed as he quickly stepped forward to help block the floating model from anyone that would happen to pass by. "What are you doing?"

Magnus shrugged his shoulders innocently as he gazed up at his husband. "Nobody is back here, Alec," he noted, giving a quick scan of their surroundings before turning back to what he was doing. "Besides, this is the easiest way to get an idea of what the different colors would look on the walls at home."

"That's not the point, Magnus," Alec groaned, but decided to let the matter go for now and kept watch over the racks for anyone that was approaching.

After flipping through a few different colors on the living room model, Magnus switched over to what looked like a miniature version of their bedroom and started running through an array of colors on it.

"Okay," Alec said with a sigh when Magnus finally allowed his magic to disperse and the floating model vanished from sight. He took the color splotches from the Downworlder's hand that had their selections on it. "I'll take these up to the window to get the paints. Why don't you start looking through the furniture options?"

Magnus sent the man a small smile before resting a hand on his shoulder. "Made you nervous there, didn't I?"

Alec rolled his eyes. "It's only our first night here, Mags. You really shouldn't be testing the Clave's rules already. At least give them some time to get used to the idea of you actually being here before trying something like that again."

Magnus nodded slowly at Alec's words. "You're right. I'm sorry. I'll be more careful from now on, I promise."

Giving the warlock's shoulder a quick squeeze in appreciation, Alec headed over to retrieve their buckets of paint.

Magnus let out a somber sigh as he watched the Shadowhunter walk away before slowly starting to make his way towards some bedroom displays on the other side of the store. He was just passing through a row of bedside tables when he felt a hand come down on his shoulder, while a second one wrapped around his upper arm, grabbing him roughly.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

An icy chill ran up Magnus' spine at the deep, gravelly voice that was suddenly in his ear. Glancing back at the man that held him in his strong grip, Magnus barely had time to make out the name tag that was pinned to the guy's dark green shirt identifying him as the manager before stumbling slightly as the man shoved him forward, silently telling the Downworlder to walk. Digging his fingernails into Magnus' caramel skin, the man forced him towards the back of the store.

"I don't know how a warlock managed to get themselves this far into the city without getting caught, but I'm afraid your luck has just run out. Just wait until the Clave gets ahold of you . . ." the manager growled, continuing to antagonize him as Magnus tried to keep his panic in check.

He could already feel his hands tingling with sharp red sparks as he considered sending a ball of energy at the man's hands to get him to let go. Instead of letting that idea sizzle in his thoughts, Magnus craned his neck trying to spy his husband in the store. If he couldn't use his magic, Alec was his only other chance of getting out of this situation.

Magnus was just about to attempt to call out for his Shadowhunter when he was brought to a sudden stop causing him to get jerked back slightly in the strong grip. Confused, Magnus looked back over his shoulder at the manager to see the man staring with a shocked look on his face at the Shadowhunter that had seemed to magically appear behind him.

"Mr. Lightwood," the manager acknowledged, his surprise starting to wane and he smiled up at the young man standing behind him. "I didn't know you would be arriving in the city today."

If Alec was surprised at all by the manager knowing his name, he did an excellent job of hiding it. Instead, his stance reminded Magnus of the serious and determined side of his husband that he pulled out whenever he was addressing his fellow Shadowhunters back in New York.

"Congratulations on the new Inquisitor position," the man holding onto Magnus continued. "I'm sorry, but I have an issue here I need to address. If you need help with anything–"

"He's with me," Alec stated in a firm voice, nodding in Magnus' direction.

The flabbergasted expression was back on the manager's face as he turned his gaze back-and-forth between the warlock that was still in his arms, to the soon-to-be Inquisitor. "With you? I–"

"The Clave has made an exception for him," Alec explained simply, keeping his voice level. "I would appreciate it if you would let him go."

* * *

After being reassured by the manager that Magnus would be able to sign for the furniture delivery the next day without Alec having to be present, the couple decided to make their way home before the sunset.

"Well, this has certainly been an . . . interesting first day, huh?" Alec noted, allowing the two buckets of paint he was carrying to swing slightly in his grab as they walked.

Magnus shrugged. "Could have gone worse, I guess," he admitted, avoiding his husband's gaze.

Alec tilted his head to the side as he studied the warlock's expression. "Are you sure you're okay? He didn't hurt you, did he?"

"No," Magnus tried to reassure him. "No, I'm fine. It's just . . . Sure, I noticed the strange looks the other Shadowhunters were throwing my way and heard the whispers behind my back, but no one approached me at all. No one tried to tell me I wasn't supposed to be here or threatened to call the Guards to get me arrested . . . Not until you left my side."

Alec shook his head. "I know. I'm not sure if the public was told about our situation, and you coming here. It sure didn't seem that way back at the store. I could look into that as well when I start the job."

"And yet they seem to be aware of you taking over the Inquisitor position," Magnus noted with a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he kept his eyes focused on the sidewalk in front of them.

"I don't think you should risk going outside at all tomorrow," Alec stated slowly after they had been walking in silence for a while. "We haven't gotten the list of places back from the council yet on where you can go without me and not get in trouble with the Clave."

"Oh, so now you really do want to lock me up," Magnus ventured, raising his eyebrows and sending him a small smirk.

Alec rolled his eyes and chuckled softly at the reverence to when they put their lock up in New York, relieved to see his flirtatious warlock coming out again.

"Or you could portal back to New York for a few hours," Alec advised, slowing his stride slightly as they neared the building where their apartment had been newly located to. "That would at least give you the chance to get out of the apartment for a little while."

"It's fine, Alexander. I think I can find something to help entertain myself for a day," he said, holding up one of the paint cans he had been carrying as an explanation and strolled through the open door that Alec was propping open for him.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

"So, here are the cases that are currently open," Mrs. Herondale explained and motioned towards the filing system she had set up in her office.

Following the Inquisitor over to the row of shelves she had on one side of the room, Alec scanned the many binders that were lined up on the display. Along the spines of the colorful binders there were various labels; each one with the name of one of the fifty states of America as well as other countries around the world.

"Once the case is closed, and you have filled out the proper paperwork, the forms should then be turned over and stored in the archives," Mrs. Herondale added, watching quizzically as her successor eyed the filing system that was in place.

Since arriving at the office building almost thirty minutes ago, Mrs. Herondale had been giving Alec a quick tour of a few of his co-worker's offices that he would need to know before entering the Inquisitor's office.

The desk that was centered in the middle of the room was a much simpler style than the one he was used to back in New York. Two plain brown leather chairs sat in front of the desk for visitors. Other than the filing cabinets along the left wall, and the candelabras stationed in each corner of the room, the space was pretty bare.

"Any questions at this point?" the woman asked, turning to give Alec her full attention.

"No," the young Shadowhunter shook his head. "Not about the job, but I do have something I wanted to ask you about Magnus."

The woman narrowed her eyes at him, clearly not happy about the idea of the conversation turning towards the warlock so fast. "Yes?"

"On that list of rules Magnus has to follow while he's here, it said that there would be a selection of places that he would be allowed to go without me having to accompany him," Alec explained, ignoring the Inquisitor's discomfort. "We haven't heard anything further about that."

"Right," the Inquisitor said with a tired sigh. "A newsletter was sent out just this morning to all the business owners downtown. We are leaving it up to the owners whether or not they would be allowing the warlock to enter their establishments. If he is not welcome, a sign will be placed on the entrance to warn him not to enter."

As she talked, the woman slipped a piece of paper out of one of the folders she was carrying and held it out for Alec to see. A headshot of Magnus' face covered two-thirds of the page with the classic red circle with a line through it. Alec recognized it instantly as the symbol mundane's typically used to mean 'not allowed'. This was further evidenced by the words 'No Warlocks Allowed' printed across the bottom of the page.

"Other than that," Mrs. Herondale continued, sliding the piece of paper back into the pocket she had retrieved it from, "the warlock is permitted to freely walk around outside and can venture through Angel Squire if he wishes."

Alec furrowed his eyebrows at the sign idea, but forced himself not to respond. There wasn't really any point in arguing with her about it now. In just a few short days, Mrs. Herondale will be out of the office and then, as the newly instated Inquisitor, he would be able to figure out what to do about it himself.

"Come in," Mrs. Herondale called out in response to the sound of an unexpected knock on the door.

Alec turned just in time to see a tall, blond man entering the office. The man was fairly bony, but held thick strong shoulders.

"Inquisitor Herondale," the man greeted with a nod as he approached the pair with barely a glance in Alec's direction. "Jia was looking for you. Something about some final paperwork you needed to turn in before retiring from your position."

"Yes, of course. I'll make sure she gets it shortly," she acknowledged before glancing over at Alec next to her. "Dearborn, this is Alec Lightwood; Robert's son. He's going to be taking over for me as Inquisitor. Alec, this is Horace Dearborn. He's one of Clave's representatives on the council."

"Mr. Lightwood," the man greeted, extending one of his enormous hands towards him. "It's an honor to finally meet you. You father has spoken very highly of you over the years." Despite the warm acknowledgement, Horace's expressionless face didn't change.

"It's Lightwood-Bane," Alec corrected, shaking the man's hand.

He hadn't forced the change in name with Mrs. Herondale. It was hard enough just getting her to identify Magnus as his husband let alone announcing it in his name, but now they were in Alicante. If he was going to start making some lead way on helping the warlock become more accepted here among the Clave, he had to have a clear way to identify to everyone that Magnus was with him, and not as his guardian but as his husband.

Downworlder or not, Alec considered Magnus to be his equal, and the most simple way that he could think of to show that bond that he had with the warlock was by having the Shadowhunters call him by his full name that he had taken on after his wedding.

The man's hand stilled at the name and he slowly dropped his hand. "Bane? As in that warlock that has been allowed inside our city," Horace asked, scrunching up his eyebrows and sending Mrs. Herondale a disapproving look before turning back to Alec.

"He's my husband." Standing up straight, Alec clasped his hands together behind his back. "Is that going to be a problem?"

Although his expression still didn't seem to have changed, a dark look grew in the man's eyes. "No . . . No, not at all."

* * *

Alec let out a heavy sigh as he neared his apartment door.

He knew that Magnus was going to have to deal with discrimination amongst his fellow Shadowhunters, but he hadn't fully considered what it would be like having to hear all the prejudice about his husband behind the Downworlder's back.

Horace Dearborn's unmistakable appallment to the fact that he was married to a Downworlder was only the beginning of his day. He couldn't wait to get back to Magnus and finally enjoy some precious time with his husband.

Slipping his key into the lock, Alec shoved the door open and stepped inside, spotting Magnus instantly. He was standing in the middle of the living room with his back facing Alec and his arms crossed over his chest. He seemed to be studying the two different curtain styles he had hanging on either side of the open patio doors.

The one on the left was a simple white fabric while the one on the right was a more translucent style with some kind of flowery pattern sewn into the cloth. Each was just barely touching the floor underneath them.

The once bricked walls and pillars in the living room were now plastered over and painted tan while the walls that were once a mustard yellow were now painted what the paint samples that Magnus had picked out called a "Blue Plate", which to Alec just looked like a dark blue.

Glancing to his right as he entered the living room, Alec spied the newly painted, blood red walls in their bedroom through the open doors. The baseboard and window frames were a dark purple, almost black. Accompanied with the white ceiling and crown molding, it created a very elegant appearance to the bedroom.

"Looks like you've been kept busy," Alec commented the warlock as he took in the newly refurbished space.

"Hmmm," the Downworlder hummed in response. "Which one do you like better?"

"What?" Alec asked, turning his attention back to his husband who was still facing away from him.

Magnus nodded in the direction of the hanging draperies.

"Oh, the one on the left."

Alec watched as his husband leaned his head to one side as he studied the two designs for another second before snapping his fingers, allowing blue flurries to dance around his hand for a moment. In response to the gesture, not only did the fabric on the right morph into the similar style as the other, but both sides were also suddenly tied up with golden colored string with tassels.

"So, how was your day?" Magnus asked as he spun around to face his husband and strolled over towards him.

Alec couldn't help but notice the way the warlock was carrying himself as he approached him and Magnus rested a hand on his shoulder. It was so much like the traditional 'Magnus flair' that he had become accustomed to since getting to know the warlock and was a huge change from the depressed appearance the man had been in the other day after coming home from their shopping trip. A smirk was even playing on the older man's lips.

"You seem to be in a good mood today," Alec noted, ignoring the warlock's question for the moment. Seeing his husband clearly happy after his day, his internal anger at his fellow Shadowhunters dulled slightly.

"Oh, you know." Magnus shrugged off the comment and glanced around at everything he had accomplished so far with his redecorating. "The distraction certainly has been nice."

"Any issues with the furniture delivery?"

"No," Magnus said with a small shake of his head. "The owner of _'Finish Outright' _must have warned his workers about what I was. I got a few strange looks from them, but otherwise . . ."

"Good," Alec noted with a smile and gave the man's shoulder a squeeze. "You know, why don't we go out for dinner tonight? You've been stuck inside all day. It would be nice to get out for a while, huh? And I can tell you all about my day."

* * *

"Looks like people are starting to get used to having me around. Your fellow Shadowhunters don't seem to be staring as much as they were the other day," Magnus noted as he scooted down the buffet line at the restaurant Alec had suggested they check out. The warlock glanced up from the tray of roasted potatoes that was in front of him only to catch a young woman who was sitting at a table with her family quickly avoiding her eyes from him. "Or . . . at least they're trying not to."

Alec dropped the tongs back into the tray of roasted chicken and followed his husband's stare. "Mrs. Herondale said she sent a notice out to everyone this morning informing them that you're here," he explained, moving down the line. "Just try to ignore it for now. The staring should stop soon enough."

The warlock raised his eyebrows at his husband's nonchalant tone, but let it go as he silently followed him to an empty table that was on the other side of the establishment.

"So, what was with all those signs on the shop doors?" Magnus asked, pulling out the chair across from Alec's.

Alec sighed as he lifted his fork to start eating. In retrospect, he probably shouldn't have been surprised at the number of signs they had passed on their way here that were now displaying the red crossed-out image of his husband, but almost every store seemed to have decided to deny entrance to Magnus.

"That was Mrs. Herondale's idea. Any store that has that sign up means you can't enter it without me present," Alec explained. "But you are allowed to freely walk around outside anywhere you want."

"Anywhere I want?" Alec noted the clear sound of sarcasm in the warlock's voice and glanced up from his food to see the man's raised eyebrow. "The Clave is spoiling me now."

"Don't," Alec groaned. "In less than two days, I'll be taking office. I'll see what I can do about it then."

"What about the council members?" Magnus asked as he cut off a piece of his chicken and brought it to his mouth. "If the shop owners are embracing me like this, I can't imagine what you heard today at the office."

Setting his utensils down, Alec leaned forward across the table and lowered his voice to make sure no one from the nearby tables would overhear. "What do you want me to do, Magnus? I _did_ warn you. It's not like we didn't know things were going to be like this at the beginning."

With a heavy sigh, Magnus set his fork down on his plate as his shoulders sagged in defeat. "I know. I'm sorry, it's just . . . _Knowing_ what is going to happen and actually living through it are two completely different things."

Alec reached forward and rested his hand lovingly on his husband's wrist, rubbing his thumb gently over the back of his hand.

"It's going to be okay. Just try and lay low for now, and I'll fix all of this as soon as I can, I promise. This should be all the surprises Mrs. Herondale will have in store for you to have to deal with over the next couple of months," Alec tried to reassure him and retracted his hand from Magnus'. Shrugging his shoulders, Alec added, "Honestly, considering everything the Clave has done to Downworlders in the past, things could have turned out a lot worse."

Magnus let out a soft chuckle at that. "Yeah . . . I guess," he sighed before scanning the table. "No napkins?"

"They're next to the utensils," Alec explained, gesturing over his shoulder back towards the buffet line.

"Hmm," Magnus hummed around a bite of food and started to raise his hand before Alec unexpectedly shot forward to grab a hold of his wrist, tighter than before. "Alexander, what–?" One look at the apologetic expression on the Shadowhunter's face and the warlock's shocked face turned sorrow. "Oh . . . Right."

Reluctantly, Alec lowered their hands from Magnus' unthinking attempt to use his magic and gave the limb a comforting squeeze before letting go.

"I'll grab us some," he said softly. Pushing his chair back, Alec walked away from the table leaving Magnus to stew over his unwelcomed circumstances.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

With a tired groan, Alec rolled over in bed and stretched his arm out, searching for his husband only to feel the bare sheets under his hand. Confused, he forced his eyes open and squinted through the bright glare of the sun that was pouring in through the window. Not seeing his husband, Alec frowned and propped himself up on his elbows to scan the room more thoroughly.

"Magnus?" The name came out raspy from sleep and didn't travel far.

Sounds started to drift in from the kitchen and the familiar smell of pancakes flowed into the bedroom. Alec's stomach rumbled at the thought of breakfast and with a grin, shoved the covers off himself and hurried to get dressed for the day.

He was just finishing buttoning up his dark blue dress shirt as he entered the kitchen to find Magnus standing over the stovetop.

"Good morning," the Shadowhunter greeted as he walked up behind him and Magnus turned to give him a small smile before checking on the food.

"Morning," the warlock returned.

"You're actually cooking?" Alec asked, glancing over his shoulder. Using the spatula, Magnus set the finished pancakes on the plate to his right.

"Mmm," Magnus hummed. "Just because I'm a warlock and can make food appear by magic doesn't mean I don't know how to cook." With their breakfast prepared, Magnus turned off the heat before retrieving the plate that was now piled high with pancakes. Turning around to face Alec completely, he placed one hand on his cheek, caressing it. "Besides, since today is your first official day as Inquisitor, I wanted to do something special."

Grinning, Alec leaned forward to leave a kiss on the Downworlder's temple in appreciation.

"Can you grab the syrup from the pantry?" Magnus asked, making his way towards their dining room with the food.

By the time Alec followed the warlock out of the kitchen with the requested condiment, Magnus had two empty plates arranged at the table with the stacked up plate of pancakes and a bowl of fresh fruit available to serve in the middle. Two glasses of freshly squeezed orange juice sat by each man's plate.

"This looks great, Mags," Alec exclaimed, pulling out his chair to join his husband. Picking up his fork, Alec used it to grab a couple of the pancakes and set them on his plate.

"So, what are you going to be doing today?" Magnus asked as he spooned out some of the berries from the bowl onto his own plate.

"There isn't much planned," Alec informed. "There are a few forms I have to finish filling out to get myself officially instated in the position, and then this afternoon, someone set up a meet-and-greet to help me get to know more of the Clave members."

Magnus popped a berry into his mouth and raised a speculative eyebrow at his husband. "A meet-and-greet? Well, aren't I the jealous one."

Alec snickered and bit into another piece of the fluffy cakes. "I can guarantee you won't be missing much."

* * *

Alec couldn't help gritting his teeth in frustration as he looked around the room full of Shadowhunters.

The Clave had rented out a backroom at one of the well-established restaurants just a couple blocks from Angel Square. A few tables were spread out around the space with white fabric covering them and falling a few inches from touching the floor. A long table was set up to one side that contained finger foods and snacks along with a drink display for the guests to help themselves.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time, and Alec probably would have been too if Magnus had been there with him, but that was the problem. Along with members of the council, the spouses and a few other family members could be spotted among the crowd.

No one had told Alec that family was welcome to attend, which he knew was precisely the point. Most of the Shadowhunters here were the ones responsible for the laws that Magnus was now forced to adhere by, and all of them were aware that he had married a Downworlder.

But Downworlder or not, seeing as he was the new Inquisitor, his husband should have had a right to attend his welcoming party and Alec knew without a doubt that Magnus not being invited was not by accident. They were intentionally excluding him from the event and it only served to agitate him further.

"I would suggest creating strong alliances with several of the council's representatives," Mrs. Herondale advised. She was standing just to Alec's left as he served the crowd. "Trust me, being the Inquisitor, it is not uncommon for some of our members to try and run secret organizations right under your nose. The more people you have on your side that you know you can trust would strongly enhance your ability to find and expose any corruption under your leadership." By this point Alec wasn't paying attention to her and allowed her voice to drift off into the background.

He was just pondering how long it would be acceptable to have to stay at this party before being able to head home to his husband without seeming rude when he caught sight of Helen Blackthorn's long blond hair on the other side of the room. She was busy gripping tightly to the sleeve of her girlfriend, Aline Penhallow, trying to pull the clearly aggravated young woman away from the three grown men that stood before them. The dark headed woman was struggling in Helen's grip, and pointing and screaming at the audience before her.

Leaving Mrs. Herondale's side, Alec hurried across the room, shoving a few people to the side in his haste to try and break up the scene that was transpiring. As he drew closer, he was able to catch a few strands of words that the strongly pissed off woman was yelling in frustration.

Seconds before he reached the woman though, Aline's mother, Jia, jumped in front of him and dragged her daughter away from the men, still yelling in outrage over whatever it was that had upset her.

With Aline being dragged away, Helen stared longingly after her as the men finally turned to go there separate ways.

Alec rested a hand on Helen's shoulder to grab her attention, causing the half-faerie to jump in surprise and spun around in fright.

"Alec," Helen sighed in relief as her eyes focused on him.

He raised his hand as a form of apology for startling her. "What was that all about?" he asked, nodding towards Aline who was now arguing quietly with her mother in the corner.

Helen gestured towards the three men that had wondered off. "That's Horace Dearborn, Clive Breakspear, and Martin Gladstone. They're members of a group that call themselves _'The Cohorts'_."

"The Cohorts?" Alec asked, studying the three men from a distance.

Helen folded her arms across her chest. "Basically they are a group of Clave members that believe that the rights of Downworlders should be restricted. Apparently they are not thrilled about the idea of a half-faerie being added to their council."

Alec nodded slowly as he gazed at the group that was now conversing with each other over by the snack table. "I met Horace a couple days ago. He seemed . . . appalled when I told him Magnus was my husband."

"Yeah, that doesn't surprise me," Helen sighed. "Horace Dearborn is the group's leader. He is quite a prejudiced man and his hate for Downworlders disgusts me." She looked back in the direction that Jia had taken Aline. "Excuse me."

Alec nodded as she hurried away, presumably to find and calm down her girlfriend. He huffed a deep breath and was turning away when Horace Dearborn made an appearance once more.

"Mr. Lightwood, what a pleasure." Horace Dearborn held out his hand with a snake-like smile.

Alec knew he'd told the man to call him Lightwood-Bane and the fact that he had most likely been insulting Helen's presence was inexcusable, but he wasn't going to allow the man to get under his skin. There was an image that Alec was responsible for now; calm, collected, and respectable. And he knew how to pick and choose his battles.

Ignoring the extended hand, Alec replied, "Mr. Dearborn, I would say this is a pleasure but seeing the scene you just caused I would have to rethink that." Horace's hand fell just as the snarky smirk dropped from his face.

"I see you haven't brought along that Downworlder of yours. Wouldn't have wanted him to ruin this lovely get together, I see. Good man." Horace turned on his heel to walk away when Alec quickly cut back in.

"I assure you Mr. Dearborn, Magnus would've been the life of the party, but he had prior engagements." The two men held eyes and Alec would've given anything to reach for his stele–

"Mr. Lightwood."

Horace smirked. "It seems you're being called. Now, run along." Alec felt his blood run hot, but the grounding hand of Mrs. Herondale kept him from making a fool of himself.

Imogen stepped up next to Alec and waved off Horace with a sigh. "Is this how you're always going to act? If it is I wish you would've told me sooner, I would've hired someone else." Her hand on his back guided them to an empty corner of the room, both aware of watchful eyes. "You mustn't allow them to get under your skin. People will say things you don't like and you cannot just insult them, or better yet fight them–"

"I wasn't going to fight him," Alec interjected.

Imogen gave him a cold glare. "You would've if I hadn't stepped in," she insisted. Waving down a waiter that was holding a tray of champagne, she held a flute by the tips of her perfectly manicured fingers. "I will tell you the same thing that you should be telling that warlock husband of yours, and what I assume Horace told that young half-faerie." She tipped the glass all the way back and downed her champagne, before giving him a smile that shriveled his insides and enunciated every word with a sneer. "Know . . . your . . . place."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

For the first week after Alec got instated in the Inquisitor position, Magnus spent most of his time inside until his husband would get home. Alec would then convince him to go outside with him, usually just a walk around the streets before finding someplace to stop for dinner, or grabbing take-out to bring back to the apartment to eat.

Magnus was growing increasingly restless with each passing day. With the redecorating done for the apartment and no Downworlder clients around that needed his help, he was already feeling extremely isolated from his own kind.

Needing something to keep himself busy, he had asked Alec to spread the word to the other Shadowhunters to let the public know that if anyone needed help or a potion he was available to assist, but he quickly realized it wasn't much use. The Shadowhunters in Alicante were very territorial beings, and he was technically invading their land. No one here wanted his assistance, and the few that would show up treated him like an unwelcome member of their society.

Itching for something to do, the warlock set to work cleaning the apartment.

Starting in the kitchen, he hand washed the dishes him and Alec had used during breakfast, drying them with a towel and placing them back into their appropriate cabinets. Using the same towel, he wiped down the countertops before moving on to the next room.

Deciding to begin in the bedroom next, Magnus grabbed the sleek vacuum he kept in the hall closet and dusted the corners of the room, along with the ceiling fan. He then moved on to the bathroom, wiping down the spotless countertops and sprayed the mirrors with glass cleaner. Moving on to his apothecary office, the warlock ran the feather duster over the desk before turning to clean the rest of the space.

Finished dusting the already spotless apartment by hand, Magnus poured himself a glass of gin before heading out to the balcony and leaned against the railing, scanning the people walking along the street.

Taking a sip of his drink, he couldn't help feeling envious of all the Shadowhunters that were passing below him. Each of them had lives that they were fully engrossed in while he felt halted in his own. Until Alec could get the laws changed and allow Downworlders to freely live in this city that he somehow found himself in, he felt like his life was placed on pause. He couldn't even work with clients on a regular basis without feeling prejudiced.

During his time as the High Warlock of Brooklyn, Magnus had grown accustomed to receiving emergency calls that he needed to attend to at all hours of the day, and with Alec's insistence, was regularly called upon to help the residence of the New York Institute in demon attacks and other crime waves. But here in Alicante, he felt useless. It had been several centuries since he had felt so . . . unneeded before.

And trapping himself inside all day was not helping him with his disheartened mood. He needed to get out of the apartment. Even a quick walk around the streets of Idris had to help boost his spirits a little bit.

Turning back his drink, Magnus swallowed the rest of the glass's contents before retrieving his wallet and keys and stepped out into the hallway. Making his way down the flights of stairs, the warlock pushed his way through the front door in the lobby before he could change his mind.

Stuffing his hands into the pockets of his floral blue blazer, Magnus attempted to keep his pace at a normal speed despite feeling like his heart was going to pound out of his chest; and to make it worse, he was receiving nasty looks left and right that truly made him want to run back inside.

But he had to keep reminding himself that he was allowed to be here, and according to the rules the Clave had set up for him, he was permitted to walk around outside without his husband by his side. The Shadowhunters might not like it, but there was nothing they could do about it. They had to let him be.

Passing through Angel Square, Magnus slowed his pace slightly as he gazed up at the bronze statue of the Angel Raziel. By this time in his stay in Alicante, he had grown used to the huge demon towers that were spread out around the city, but even when Alec was by his side, this was the first time he had ventured this close to the statue.

With his wings spread out behind him, the bronze angel stared up towards the sky. Two objects laid in his hands; a sword in his right and a chalice in his left. If Magnus had to guess, he assumed the objects were probably meant to represent the Soul Sword and the Mortal Cup.

Reaching the end of Angel Square, the warlock turned left and started to make his way towards a shopping center that Alec had pointed out to him a few days ago.

As he walked down the line of stores that were arranged on this side of the city, Magnus did his best to avoid eyeing the repetitive images of himself that stared back at him through the flyers on virtually every businesses front door, denying him entrance and instead tried to focus his attention on the displays that the shops had set up in the windows.

Glancing inside the stores, he took note of the selections of clothes, books, and an assortment of weapons that were available for purchase in the plaza. One store even had expensive looking jewelry on sale; the kinds of items that women would take out to wear to formal and elegant events.

It wasn't until the warlock was getting ready to walk passed a men's clothing store that he caught sight of a dark brown, leather moto jacket that was hanging on a mannequin, and came to a complete stop in front of the window.

With the weather starting to get colder, Alec would be needing a new jacket and the dark brown color would add a little hue to the man's usually all black wardrobe.

Magnus had had issues in the past trying to get Alec to expand more on his outfits to no success, but this jacket would add only a subtle change to the man's colorless wardrobe and yet still stuck to the dark hues that his husband seemed to cherish so much that he doubted Alec would stick his nose up at the article of clothing.

Not only that, but his husband's birthday was coming up in just a few short weeks. How could he say no to the perfect excuse to purchase it for him?

Reaching for the handle, Magnus was just about to yank the door open only to hesitate in the gesture as his eyes came to rest on yet another poster with his face on it staring back at him, warning him not to enter.

Biting his lip gently, Magnus let his hand drop back to his side and took a step back to stare dreamily at the coat that was on display in the window. With a heavy sigh, he turned away from the image only to catch sight of a Shadowhunter walking along the sidewalk in his direction and an idea popped into his head.

Scooting to the right, Magnus stepped in front of the man and raised a hand in what he hoped would appear as a friendly gesture. "Excuse me. I was wondering if you could help me with–"

That was as far as he got before the man locked eyes with him for the split second needed to realize that he was Downworlder. With a scuff in disgust, the man waved him off, even bumping roughly into Magnus's shoulder as he hurried along his way.

Trying not to let the incident bother him, the warlock turned back to attempt to get someone else's help. The next Shadowhunter coming his way was a young woman with long dark hair. A pink and blue floral skirt hung to just above her ankles.

"Hey," Magnus greeted. "Would you be willing to help me out for a second? It should only take a few minutes."

The woman had paused in her walk and was staring up at him silently. Taking this as his cue to continue, Magnus pointed at the jacket that was in the window.

"I was wondering if you could purchase that jacket for me that is on display. I have the money for it. I just–"

"You aren't allowed to enter the store," the woman finished for him, speaking for the first time. She folded her arms across her chest as she looked back at him with disapproval.

Even with the hateful expression on her face, Magnus was encouraged by the fact that she hadn't simply ignored him and continued on her way.

"You can keep whatever change is left," Magnus prompted as he dug into his pocket for his wallet to hand over the money for his purchase. "It's the brown leather one. I–"

"I'm not helping you."

Magnus's head snapped up at the evil snarl in the woman's voice. Clutching his open wallet in his hand, he gapped at her in astonishment.

"You filthy, disgusting warlock," she growled between her teeth. "You don't belong here."

"According to the Clave, I'm allowed to be here," he said attempting to stand up for himself, but his voice came out shakier than he would have hoped. "The Inquisitor is my husband."

"I don't care who you are here with," she snapped, pure hatred in her eyes. "This isn't your home. You don't belong here. The sooner you learn that, the better."

With one final glare, the woman shoved passed him leaving the shocked warlock standing alone in the middle of the sidewalk and disappeared around the corner.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Arriving home from another long day of dealing with disgruntled Shadowhunters, Alec was greeted by the sight of his warlock husband staring blankly into his glass that he assumed was filled with some kind of alcohol.

"I went for a walk outside today," Magnus admitted softly, refusing to look up at him. "By myself."

Setting his briefcase down gently in a chair, Alec headed over to the bar cart in the corner to pour himself something to drink before joining Magnus on the couch.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alec asked, matching the warlock's tone, sensing that his trip outside the apartment didn't exactly go as planned.

"It was so stupid," Magnus sighed and leaned over to set his almost empty cup down on the side table. "I wanted to buy something in one of the stores in town, but they had one of those signs up saying that I wasn't permitted to enter. So, I tried to ask someone to go in for me . . ."

"Magnus–" Alec tried to talk, but his husband jumped in again.

"I know I said I could handle this . . . and I can. I just wish there were some people here that didn't treat me like I don't belong here," Magnus snapped before lowering his head into his hands.

Alec sat back against the couch, studying his husband's posture as he allowed the man to rant about his frustrations over the last week.

"I am the only Downworlder in a city that despises Downworlders. Everywhere I go people stare at me. They scurry out of my way when they see me coming as if they think I'm going to hurt them. I can't even go into a store to buy something without breaking one of the Clave's stupid rules."

Alec leaned forward in his seat beside him. He was silent for a few minutes as he cupped his drink between his hands, trying to think of something to help ease the pain that his husband was experiencing.

"Why don't you portal back to New York during the day? You can visit with Cat and Madzie or spend some time at the Institute there. You could even start seeing your clients back in New York again." The last part Alec added as an afterthought.

"How?" The warlock pouted, straightening up in his seat. "I can't use magic here. It's one of the Clave's rules."

"You can use magic in our apartment," Alec reminded him. "And according to another one of the Clave's rules, you are allowed to come and go from Alicante as you wish. Just portal back and forth from here."

Magnus took a moment to think about it before nodding his head slowly at his husband's idea. Maybe some time away would do him some good.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

"Magnus!"

The familiar voice cried out as the warlock stepped through the portal and into the living room of his friend's home. A few seconds later, Madzie ran up to him looking for a hug.

"Sweet Pea!" Magnus greeted, lifting the little girl up into his arms. "I've missed you."

"Is Alec coming too?" she asked, craning her neck to look behind Magnus as if she was hoping to see another portal opening up any second now.

"No, not this time, honey. I'm afraid Alec had to work today."

"Magnus?" Another voice spoke up to his left. Turning, Magnus caught sight of Catarina entering the room. She was wearing a lightweight jacket and had her purse hanging off one of her shoulders. "What are you doing here?"

"Just came to visit," Magnus explained. Taking a closer look at the girl in his arms, he noticed that she was wearing a dark purple coat and had her shoes on. "Are you guys going somewhere?"

"I have to get to work. I'm dropping Madzie at her babysitters house on the way," she said, grabbing her keys from a table that was against one wall.

"Can I stay with Magnus?" Madzie asked, a huge smile painted on her face.

"Madzie–" Cat tried to protest, looking tired.

"Please . . ." the child begged, drawing out the word. One of her little hands was fisting a handful of Magnus' shirt in her fingers.

"I don't mind watching her," Magnus insisted. "I was planning on spending most of the day in New York anyways."

With a sigh, Catarina relented. "Alright, I'll call the sitter on my way and let her know we had a change of plans."

* * *

With Madzie gripping his hand tightly, Magnus tugged her gentle with him through the swirling yellow portal and came out on the lawn outside of the New York Institute, the massive building looming over them.

Staring up at the old building, a weird ache clawed at Magnus' heart. It may have only been a week since he had last been here, but it felt like so much longer. It was strange to think about going inside and knowing that his brooding Shadowhunter wouldn't be there.

In her excitement of getting to see the other members of the Lightwood family, Madzie let out a small squeal in excitement at seeing their destination. Letting go of Magnus' hand, the child took off for the entrance to the Institute, effectively snapping the older warlock out of his thoughts.

Quickly catching up to the little girl, he helped her open the heavy door before allowing her to step inside ahead of him . . . only for the two of them to be stopped by a guard that was stationed a few feet away.

"Halt," the guard ordered, taking out his seraph blade. At the sight of the weapon, Magnus pulled Madzie closer to his side. "What is your business here?"

Magnus was just opening his mouth to answer the man when another voice reached his ears from farther down the hallway.

"Adam!" the familiar blonde called as he hurried over, coming to a stop by the guard's side. "It's fine. Magnus is family."

Adam frowned and stared down at the young warlock by Magnus' side. "And the kid?" He growled through his teeth and the child shrunk closer to Magnus' leg.

A small smile grew on Jace's face as he looked down at Madzie for the first time, but the warlock couldn't help but notice the dead look in the Shadowhunter's eyes.

"Madzie!" Jace greeted. He bent down to allow her to climb into his arms and lifted her up. "How is our favorite little sorceress?" Madzie giggled softly at the compliment as the blonde turned back towards the guard. "Magnus is married to my brother. Him and his friends are welcome here anytime."

With clear disdain in his eyes, Adam lowered his weapon and took a step back allowing Magnus to follow his brother-in-law farther into the building.

"Sorry about him," Jace started as they entered the Ops Center and he set Madzie back down on her feet. "Adam just transferred here a couple days ago from the London Institute."

Magnus shrugged his shoulders. "Being around as long as I have, you get used to that kind a treatment." He paused to give Jace another look over. Stubble was covering the man's jaw as if he hadn't shaved in awhile, and his blonde hair was tossed wildly to one side, looking greasy. His eyes were bloodshot and his shoulders sagged slightly. He wasn't carrying himself with the usual confidence that he had. "Are you okay?" the Downworlder asked him, voice dripping with concern for his husband's parabatai.

"Yeah," Jace sighed, and turned his gaze away from the warlock. "Just tired. It's been a long couple of days."

Magnus' frown deepened. "Are you sure–?"

"Look, I have to get back to work. Isabelle is in her office if you want to see her," the blonde snapped before storming off towards the weapons room, leaving Magnus and Madzie to watch after him.

"Is he okay?" Madzie asked in a small voice.

"I don't know," the warlock answered honestly.

"He looked sad."

Magnus smirked at the young warlock's kind heart. "Come on," he said, nudging her forward gently. "Lets go find Izzy."

Passing several Shadowhunters on the way, Magnus walked down the hallway towards his husband's former office with Madzie sticking close to his side. Many of the Institutes residence gave him a smile and nodded in greeting as they passed by. His heart swelled at the acceptance he was receiving. Granted, it did take time for them to get accustomed to seeing him around the Institute all the time, but by the time he and Alec were planning their wedding, pretty much everyone seemed to have changed their opinion of him. If only the Shadowhunters back in Alicante could make this simple realization that not all Downworlders were out to get them.

Approaching the office door, Magnus knocked on the closed entrance before hearing the command to enter on the other side.

"Magnus," Izzy acknowledged with a bright smile as she looked up from the paperwork she had been going over. Pushing away from the desk, she quickly got to her feet and enveloped the warlock in a tight hug. "It's so good to see you."

"Is Alec with you?" Simon asked, who had been sitting in one of chairs in the room, keeping his girlfriend company.

"No, he's back in Alicante right now. He had a meeting with the council today that he couldn't miss," Magnus explained.

"Well, you'll have to bring him back with you next time you come to visit," Izzy replied as she pulled out of the hug and give Madzie's hair a tousle.

Before he could reply, the emergency alarm sounded from the Ops Center and Isabelle rushed out of the room with the Downworlders hot on her heels. When they entered the room, most of the Shadowhunters were already gathered in front of a huge computer screen on one side of the open floor plan.

"What's going on?" Isabelle asked in a tone that clearly stated that she was the one in charge after making her way to the front of the crowd.

"A report just came in; a group of Raum demons were spotted attacking near the docks," Underhill explained, gesturing towards the images on the screen.

As Isabelle dished out orders to the gathered Shadowhunters, Magnus studied the creatures as they moved around on the video feed. He could hear the commotion that was going on around him as the Nephilims quickly responded to their boss's orders.

"I can come too," Magnus volunteered when Izzy had finished with her instructions to the others. "Someone would have to keep an eye on Madzie though while I'm gone."

* * *

Stepping out of the portal by the docks, Magnus gave a quick scan over all the Shadowhunters that Izzy had assigned to join them and was surprised not to catch sight of Jace among them. Thinking back, he didn't remember seeing his husband's parabatai at the briefing with the others either.

"Where's Jace?" Magnus asked Izzy in a hushed tone, keeping a watchful eye out for the demons.

"Jace has been . . . having a hard time letting Clary go," Izzy admitted. "It's not unusual for him to disappear for a few hours every couple days or so."

The words were barely out of the woman's mouth when the first sight of a Raum tentacle appeared from behind one of the old, rusted shipping containers that were lined up on their left and a loud growl came from somewhere behind them, signaling a second.

Before they knew it, ten more Raums had stepped out from their hiding places and marched towards them. Under Isabelle's command, the group split off to attack the growing danger that surrounded them.

With a snap of his fingers, Magnus began to throw electric balls at the ones closest to him, causing the dark creatures to let out inhuman cries in a mixture of shock and pain. Beginning to draw one back, the warlock let a powerful stream of magic flow through his palms and smashed directly into the stomach of his mark, sending the monster flying back between two of the crates.

Exhilaration flowed through Magnus' body. It had been over a week since the last time he was able to freely let out this much magic. For the first time since his move, he finally felt like he was where he was needed.

When he was here, he didn't have to feel ashamed or was being constantly put down because he wasn't like the rest of the residents in the area. It was here that he was treated with the respect and dignity that he so desperately craved. Not only did the Shadowhunters in New York need his help, but a number of them also seemed to generally want him around.

Magnus was just turning to help one of the Shadowhunter's he was with when the familiar sight of a black leather jacket and messy blonde hair rounded a corner with a seraph blade in his hand. Determination flashed through the man's eyes as he spun on his toes, swinging his weapon to cut through one of the tentacles of one of the beasts. He then spun back around to swing through the side of a demon that was drawing closer to him from the other side. The demon from his first attack was still up on his feet, and after letting out a screech from the blade slicing through one of his arms, the beast reached out with one of his uninjured tentacles towards the man.

"Jace, look out!" Magnus cried, calling up another ball of magic in his hands, but it was too late.

The creature's limb wrapped around the Shadowhunter's waist and lifted him into the air. Shocked by the sudden change in elevation, Jace's sword dropped from his hand with a silent clang on the asphalt. With a snap of the demon's tentacle the blonde went flying across the docks, landing with a splash in the ocean.

"Jace!" Magnus and Izzy yelled for him in unison.

Cursing under his breath, Magnus caught sight of Underhill's form dashing towards the waters edge to help the wounded Nephilim as he turned back to force a stream of dark red magic out of his hands in the direction of the two Raums that were involved in Jace's downfall.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

It felt like hours had passed by as Alec sat at the head of the huge oval shaped table in the Clave's boardroom. A stack of papers were lying in front of the newly instated Inquisitor. He was slowly working his way through the pile as the members of the council sat around the room.

Alec could feel his eyelids starting to get heavy as he tried to focus on the words printed on the piece of paper, and the dark gray painted walls and carpet weren't helping. He hadn't gotten much sleep the night before, too worried over the miserable state that he could see his husband slipping into. He had already seen Magnus' down whirled spiral when he had relinquished his powers to his demon father in order to save Jace, and the idea that his lover was once again slipping into that state of feeling worthless kept gnawing at him.

Stealing a glance at the clock that was hanging on the wall, Alec let out a soft sigh, wishing these long minutes would hurry and end already, wanting to be done with his first council meeting.

"Alright," Alec groaned as he turned the page in the binder of notes he had resting on the table in front of him. "The last thing I would like to discuss before we leave today is an amendment to the _'Declaration of Downworlder Rights Inside Alicante'_."

Collective outrage could be heard from a number of the Clave members that were surrounding the table.

"Those rules were set in place to reassure the safety of our citizens." Horace Dearborn's voice rang out clearly above the overlapping cries is dismay. "You're lucky that Downworlder of yours was let in at all."

"Enough!" Alec yelled in order to be heard over the outrage of the gathered Shadowhunters. "I understand that allowing a warlock into Alicante is a big change, but I don't see any reason why it should be a huge issue." He paused to scan the faces in the room. "You have all gotten accustomed to living in a country were Downworlders have been banned and the idea of change can be scary, but that doesn't mean that one Downworlder – who, as you all know, happens to be my husband – is going to screw up your way of live just by being here."

"Right now it's just one," Martin Gladstone pointed out, and glanced around the room as he continued. "Whose idea was it to instate someone that associates with the demon blooded creatures to begin with? He's even married to one of their kind. It's only a matter of time before he starts allowing them to move in to our home."

"There are actually many Downworlders that have skills that could be useful for us," a voice spoke up from the other end of the table. "Allowing them in to live amongst us could really benefit us in a lot of ways."

"Of course you would vouch for them," Clive Breakspear snapped in Helen's direction. "Being one yourself."

"I'm not saying we should allow Downworlders to just start moving in," Alec quickly stepped in, seeing Aline glare in Breakspear's direction and her posture grow rigid in her seat next to her girlfriend. "People would very likely start to rebel at a sudden change like that. All I'm asking at the moment is that we alter some of these rules you guys have laid in place for my husband to have to adhere by."

"Which ones are you referring to?" Jia Penhallow asked while keeping a watchful eye on her daughter's tense posture.

Alec glanced down at the notes that were in front of him. "The one's that Magnus seems to be having the hardest time with are 'not being allowed to enter the stores he wishes to' and 'his denied ability to use his magic out in public'."

"Are you out of your mind? Over my dead body!" Horace cried out as he slammed the palm of his hand down on the table, causing several people to jump in surprise. Wagging a finger towards Alec, the man continued, "The last thing we want is that warlock free to roam Idris to his own accords. And allowing him to freely use magic without consequences? You are going to get someone killed!"

"Magnus is one of the most caring and deeply compassionate people that I know," Alec stated slowly, trying his hardest to keep his voice level as he glared at Horace. "This is what I'm talking about. Everyone here has gotten so used to not have Downworlders around that you don't know that most of them are good, hardworking people who, as long as they are treated fairly and with respect, don't want to hurt anybody."

"Maybe we should pick this up at the next meeting?" Diana Wrayburn asked from Alec's right as she leaned back in her chair. Her eyes were glued to the clock on the wall, but drifted her gaze towards his direction before going on. "It's been a long day and everyone seems really tense right now. Let us all mull it over and we'll bring it up again next time?

Alec followed her gaze to the clock and let out a heavy sigh. "Fine, everyone go home. We'll pick this up next week."

* * *

"Magnus?" Alec called as he entered the apartment, closing the door softly behind him.

"Office," came the reply.

Setting his briefcase down on one of the couches in the living room, the Shadowhunter headed towards the open door of his husband's apothecary office to find him searching through his supplies.

"How was your meeting?" Magnus asked, glancing at Alec out of the corner of his eye as he picked up the ingredient he had been looking for.

Alec shrugged. "A few of the council members seem to resent me," he admitted and watched as the Downworlder moved to stand at the wooden table in the center of the room that the warlock used as his workstation. An assortment of glass jars covered the surface.

"It is only your first week," Magnus reminded him. He unscrewed the cap of one of the bottles and tipped some of its contents into the bowl that sat in the middle of the cluttered tabletop. "They probably just need time to get used to the new boss. Besides, you were the one that brought along the dastardly warlock into their sanctuary," he added with a smirk.

Alec grinned back and gave a soft chuckle as he walked farther into the room and rested his hands on the table as he watched Magnus work. "You probably shouldn't say anything like that in front of the Clave. They may not take it as a joke."

Magnus groaned and rolled his eyes. "Shadowhunters . . . You're all so serious all the time. It would drain me to have to keep that frown on all day."

"Hey," Alec drowned out, sending a gentle warning to the man.

"Oh, come on," Magnus teased. Leaning his head to one side, he studied Alec with a smirk. "You have to admit, you were pretty stoic yourself when we first met."

The Shadowhunter rolled his eyes at the jab. "You seem to be in a good mood. Did you go back to New York like we discussed?"

The Downworlder nodded his head. "It was nice getting to see Madzie again. I took her to the Institute with me to visit Izzy and Jace." The warlock's smile suddenly morphed into a frown as the name passed his lips and he turned a questioning look towards Alec. "When was the last time you talked to Jace?"

Alec frowned. "I actually haven't called him at all since we got here," he admitted. "I've been so busy trying to get the hang of this new position. Why?"

"Isabelle said he's been sneaking off by himself a lot lately. He did seem pretty out of it when I saw him today. A bit moody too." Magnus glanced up from his potion. "Have you felt anything from your bond?"

Alec's hand drifted over his abdomen to rest where his parabatai rune was hidden under his shirt. "I don't know. He just feels . . . numb. I thought it was because of the distance but maybe it's something more."

"I think you should go back to New York to see him, or at least give him a call. He really needs to talk to somebody and he doesn't seem to be willing to discuss his feelings with Izzy."

"Yeah." Alec nodded and pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. "I'll call him now, before it gets too late."

He was just turning to walk out of the room when Magnus called him back.

"He's probably asleep right now. You should let him rest. Call him in the morning."

Alec scrunched his eyebrows in confusion. "It's not even nine o'clock yet in New York."

Magnus paused, a look of contemplation clouding his face before letting out a heavy sigh. "While I was in New York, I accompanied Izzy and some of the other Shadowhunters on a demon patrol. Jace showed up late and . . ."

As his husband left the sentence unfinished, it didn't take Alec long to figure out what the warlock was implying. "Is he hurt?" he asked, panic beginning to swell inside him.

Sensing this, Magnus quickly stepped forward to reassure him. "I checked him over before I came home. He just needs to rest tonight. He should be fine in the morning . . . Maybe a little sore," he added with a shrug. "If he's still in a lot of pain tomorrow, I told Isabelle to give me call."

Alec fidgeted in front of the warlock, obviously not liking the idea of having to wait to contact his parabatai.

"I can take you to check on him in the morning if you want," Magnus promised, rubbing a comforting hand on his husband's shoulder. "I sedated him. He should sleep through the night."

Alec nodded his head in understanding. "Thank you . . . For taking care of him–"

"Hey, you don't have to thank me, Alexander," Magnus explained, shaking his head slowly and gave a small shrug. "He's my family too now."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Stepping out of the portal that Magnus had created for him, Alec found himself standing in the hallway right outside of the infirmary in the New York Institute. Making his way into the small waiting room, he wasn't surprised to find it empty besides for the blonde woman that was sitting behind the front desk.

With their healing runes, it wasn't often that Shadowhunters found themselves having to stay in the infirmary. Even when they did have to check in at the medical wing, their stays usually didn't last long. Combine that with the early hour and Alec would have been shocked if someone else had been taking up space in one of the available chairs.

"Hey, I'm looking for Jace Herondale," Alec explained to the woman behind the desk. "Magnus said he was brought in last night."

"Mr. Lightwood," she greeted. Not bothering to check her records for the name, the woman continued. "Jace checked himself out this morning."

Alec frowned at the news. "Really? Magnus made it sound like he would need a day or so to fully recover."

"Yes," she sighed. "We would have preferred that he had stayed and rested for a few more hours at least, but he insisted that he was fine. He did promise us that he would take it easy for the day and would report back to us if his healing runes weren't helping him."

* * *

Isabelle shrugged her shoulders as she swiveled her office chair to face her brother. "You know Jace. That stubborn, headstrong idiot doesn't like to be told what to do."

"Well, is he at least taking it easy today?" Alec asked in huff.

"I don't know," Izzy sighed reluctantly at Alec's irritated tone as the door swung open to allow Simon to walk in. "He was already gone when I went down to the infirmary this morning to check on him and he's not in his bedroom."

"You talking about Jace?" the vampire asked coming to stand next to his girlfriend.

"Yeah," Alec said, nodding his head. "You haven't seen him, have you?"

"I saw him crossing the street a couple blocks from here when I was on my way over."

Alec tilted his head as he studied the vampire. "Where was he going?"

Simon and Izzy shared a look before the Downworlder turned back to Alec with a sigh of his own. "I don't know for sure, but he's probably off looking for Clary again."

Alec frowned and shook his head slightly at the news. "Why? He knows he's not supposed to make contact with her."

"He hasn't been approaching her," Simon explained with a slight head tilt. "Just . . . watching from a distance. He keeps himself glamoured the whole time too. She never sees him."

"That's not the point," Alec groaned, dragging a hand through his hair. "I'm going to go find him."

* * *

Alec could feel the slight burn from the tracking rune that he had drawn over his parabatai mark. The yellow glow was pulsing under his shirt like a heartbeat as he made his way, glamoured, down the sidewalk. The rune was working like a compass, guiding his feet in the direction that he needed to go. The closer he drew to Jace, the longer the rune would glow yellow before dimming again.

Turning yet another corner, Alec pulled himself to a stop at the sight of the familiar blonde and muscular built man that was leaning against a light post just a few passes away from him. With his arms folded across his the chest, the man's intense stare never faltered from the building that stood on the other side of the street.

As he quietly walked closer to Jace, Alec felt the heat from the tracking rune slowly fade away and knew that the symbol over his parabatai rune had disappeared.

The blonde Shadowhunter was so engrossed in his own thoughts that he didn't seem to hear Alec approaching from behind.

"Jace?"

"By the Angel," Jace gasped in surprise, sending a glare in Alec's direction. "What are you doing? Don't sneak up on me like that."

Alec just frowned at him before turning to gaze at the building across the street that had been holding his adopted brother's unwavering attention.

"Clary's inside," Jace said as an explanation. "It's the art building at NYU. She's started right back up where she left off in the mundane world."

"She's moving forward with her life. Just like you should be."

"Easy for you to say. You got Magnus back and are now married to him. You're even living with him in Idris, where most Downworlders are banned from entering." Sending a suspicious look towards his parabatai, Jace added, "Why aren't you back there with him?"

"Magnus told me you got hurt the other day." Alec reached out to grab is upper arm. "You should be back at the Institute, resting."

Shrugging off Alec's touch, Jace turned his full attention back across the street.

"Things aren't that great for Magnus either," Alec tried. "He's been having a hard time adjusting to being surrounded by disapproving Shadowhunters."

"At least he has you."

Letting out a small sigh, Alec tried one last time to get Jace to walk away from the light post.

"Come on. Why don't we grab a coffee and talk?" At the mention of caffeine, Jace allowed his brother to guide him down the sidewalk and away from the school. "You know Clary wouldn't want this for you. She would want you to move on."

* * *

After creating a portal to send Alec to New York, Magnus decided to brave the streets of Alicante again. The more time he spent among the Shadowhunters in Idris the more acquainted they would get to him being present. In time, he hoped that the disgusted expressions and avoidance would decrease and that he could, if not be welcomed, at least be accepted as a member of their city.

Passing the bronze statue in Angel Square, Magnus decided to try turning right this time in the hope of finding a store that would finally be acceptable of him. He still had to purchase a birthday present for Alec and hoped that in the process he could find places that would be tolerable to the idea of him returning on later dates.

Enjoying the feel of the sun on his exposed skin, the warlock was getting used to ignoring the glares he received from passersby and kept his thoughts on the shops that he was passing.

It didn't take Magnus long to pick up on the volume difference on this side of town. Cheerful, yet muffled, music could be heard floating through the glass doors of several of the businesses that he passed.

He even walked by a couple of bars that appeared to be very lively by the sound of drunken laughter pouring out of the establishments. With the _Hunter's Moon _being back in New York, it would be nice to have been able to find a local bar in Idris that he could frequent.

If it weren't for the all-to-familiar images of his own face on almost every door, he would have considered stopping into one to grab something for lunch. Instead, he made a mental note to talk to Alec about accompanying him sometime to help him find a new favorite pub.

Turning a corner, the fresh aroma of filtered coffee, various cakes, and Danish pastries filled his nose. Peeking through the window of what appeared to be a local bakery shop, Magnus noted the number of Shadowhunters that were walking around the tables that displayed the mouth-watering, freshly baked goods. With it's out fashioned checkered-boarded tile floor and warm lit space, the shop looked very inviting. The place was obviously well liked by the public.

Spying through the window, Magnus was able to lay his eyes on several tasty treats that he would have loved to be able to purchase and take home with him, but he didn't even need to check to know that he wouldn't be permitted entrance.

With the obvious popularity to the residents, it was guaranteed that the manger of the establishment wouldn't want to chase any of his customers away by allowing a warlock to frequent the place. In Idris, something like that would quickly tarnish the store reputation.

Magnus' stomach growled at the rejection of a treat as he hurried away from the shop. He was just contemplating rather or not to call his outing off short and head back to his apartment to get himself something to eat when the objects exhibited in another window drew him to a stop.

A tack board display was set up about two feet from the window. Along the tan surface of the board, several different sized boxes were framed off with dark brown borders. Inside each of the framed displays, a different brand of weapon was set up to broadcast the variations of merchandise. Different arrangements of knifes, blades, and swords were presented on the board along with other common Shadowhunter instruments, but it was the brand new archery bow that rested in the last framed section on the right side of the board that had caught Magnus' eye.

The crisp black paint job of the bow seemed to shine as the sunlight hit it through the glass, and the light gray shade of the runes that decorated the object was in such contrast to the rest of the weapon that they stood out brilliantly against the glossy surface. For a weapon destined to kill, it was a beautiful piece.

The string on Alec's current bow was starting the fray while the base was beginning to show some ware. He could really use a new one.

He wasn't sure how long he had been standing there when he heard the sound of the bell chime signaling that someone had opened the door to the store.

"You can come in if you want to," a voice spoke up, finally drawing his attention away from the bow and blinked up at the young woman that stood propping open the door with her body. A tattoo of a silver koi fish was printed on her dark skinned cheek.

As the words sank in, Magnus' eyes lit up with hope. "Really?"

The woman gestured towards the glass door she was leaning against. "I don't see a sign saying you can't," she noted and smirked at him as he stepped closer. Moving over, she held the door open long enough for him to slip inside before letting it fall shut behind them.

"Honestly, I'm kind of surprised you're allowing me inside," Magnus admitted, turning around to face who he assumed was the owner of the shop. "I mean, I'm not allowed to enter the bakery that is just down the road and yet you are okay with me coming into a store full of weapons?"

Tilting her head to one side, the woman's long dark hair fell over her shoulder. With the smirk still present on her face, she folded her arms across her chest as she studied him. "Well, you are a warlock. If you really wanted to attack me, or anyone else for that matter, you wouldn't need what is in here to do it." Dropping the sarcastic stance, she held out a hand in greeting. "I'm Diana Wrayburn. I am one of the council members working under your husband."

"You're on the council?" Magnus raised an eyebrow in surprise as he let go of her hand. "I thought you all were . . . averse to the idea of me living here."

"And yet here you are," Diana quipped, the smirk returning for a moment. "Not everyone on the council agrees with the laws that are currently in place over you. I am actually one of the few on the court that is hoping to get some of that changed for you as soon as possible."

A warm feeling washed over Magnus at her words. "Thank you."

Diana sent him a true smile before gesturing towards the set up that Magnus had been admiring as a way to change the subject. "So, was there something on display in the window that you were interested in?" Diana asked.

"Yes, uh, the black bow. Alec's is getting old. I was thinking I could surprise him with a new one."

"Ah yes, one moment please." The Shadowhunter nodded and moved to walk passed Magnus towards one end of the store, returning shortly with the stunning bow. Handing it to Magnus, Diana allowed the warlock to get a feel of his husband's new gift.

"Do you think he'll like it?" Diana asked with a thoughtful look.

"It's perfect," Magnus sighed. Running his fingers over the shiny surface of the weapon, he imagined what his husband's reaction would be when he opened it on his birthday. "Alec will love it."

Grinning, the Shadowhunter led Magnus up towards the front counter to ring up his purchase.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Keeping his eyes on the table, Jace reached a hand out to grab the offered coffee cup that Alec had placed in front of him before pulling out the seat and joining him at the table.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Alec asked, an awkward beat of silence having passed between them.

Jace shrugged timidly. "What is there to say? The angels have made their decision. Clary is banned from the Institute." His face contorted into one of distress. "I can't even talk to her."

Turning to glance out the window, Alec tried to think of something to say to his close friend.

"I understand how you feel, Jace, believe me. But there is nothing we can do about it now. You have to try and move on. Maybe there is someone else at the Institute you could go out with? Or what about Maia? You liked her, right?"

"There is no one else," Jace pathetically moaned, shaking his head. "They're not her, they're not Clary." Jace stared up at his brother with such a lost look in his eyes, almost begging him to understand how he was feeling. In that moment as their eyes locked on to each other, Alec felt a strong surge of emotion pulsing from his parabatai rune.

There was a phantom burn in his chest, a feeling so similar to a time when he too had felt the fear of losing Magnus to Asmodeus's request; a trade for his warlock to once again regain his magic and immortality. The look in Magnus's eyes when he'd ended their relationship had been one that Alec would never wish to see again; utter betrayal. For the man he loved to look at him in such a heartbroken way had nearly crushed Alec's own heart, and that they were together today was a joy that he would never take for granted.

Alec knew better than anyone what Jace was going through, but stayed silent in the face of his mourning friend, not knowing how to heal his aching heart.

* * *

"Are you hungry?" Diana asked as she finished processing Magnus' purchase. When the warlock raised an eyebrow in question, she continued. "It's almost time for my lunch break. There is a café not too far from here that will let you in if you wanted some company."

Magnus smiled at the thought, knowing that having some company would be nice for change. "That would be great."

Before leaving the shop, Diana gave Magnus a case to carry the black bow in and swung the sign around that was hanging on the door on their way out so it now read 'Be Back Soon'.

"Are you sure it's okay for me go in there with you?" Magnus asked skeptically as he eyed the previously mentioned café that had just come into view. His hands were starting to get sweaty from the thought of dealing with another encounter similar to what he went through when he and Alec went shopping for paints.

"Trust me, it's fine," Diana assured him. "Helen works there. She's supposed to be scheduled today."

Sure enough, as he and the Shadowhunter slipped into the establishment, Magnus quickly spied Helen dropping off plates of food at a table.

"How long has she been working here?" the warlock asked, pulling out the seat across from Diana, setting the case with Alec's present down by his feet.

"Oh, a couple months I think," Diana sighed.

"Diana!" The pair looked up to find Aline stepping up to their table. "How have you been?"

"Good, how are you?"

"Aline," Magnus greeted, taking note of the small white apron that was tied around her waist and the pad of paper in her hands. "You work here?"

"Part-time. I help out whenever they're low on staff," she explained, flipping to a blank piece of paper. "So, what can I get you guys?"

After placing their orders, Magnus watched Aline walk off in the direction of the kitchen before his eyes were drawn towards Helen's form again.

Biting his lip gently for moment, Magnus turned his attention back to Diana. "How does everyone here treat Helen? She's half-Downworlder, right? Do they ever give her a hard time?"

"Umm," Diana hummed, before glancing in the blonde's direction. "Most people seem to have been pretty accepting to her, probably because she is only half-Downworlder," she admitted before quickly adding, "That doesn't mean she hasn't also dealt with her fair share of resentment as well."

"But she's not restricted by any rules?"

Leaning forward over the table, she sighed before agreeing. "No, but there are a number of people on the council with us that wish to apply similar rules to her life here."

Magnus nodded with a grim look on his face. Glancing out the window with forlorn eyes, he wished that things like councils weren't an issue.

"I do hope you're doing alright, Magnus. It isn't easy living with the council at your throat." Her voice suddenly lowered, turning grim. "And speaking of the council . . ."

His brow furrowed for a moment in confusion before turning in his seat and immediately wanted to duck and hide as he spotted three faces that looked appalled to see him present in the establishment.

"Warlock," one of the men called out. Before Magnus could fully consider the idea of bolting for the door, the three Shadowhunters had made a beeline for their table. The one that had spoken growled and looked down at Magnus with a sneer. "I should have known you would try and slither your way into places you shouldn't be. Get out now before I call the guards."

"Enough, Dearborn," Diana scolded from her seat. "You know perfectly well that Magnus is allowed in here and he's not threatening anyone. As long as he behaves, there is no reason to call the guards."

Horace Dearborn glared at the woman before turning back to Magnus, who felt a shiver run up his spine at the pure hatred in the man's eyes.

"I don't care if the owner approves of him being here. If any of his customers are uncomfortable dining with the warlock he should concede with the Shadowhunter's concern over the _Downworlder_." He spat the last word out in disgust.

"Look, Horace," said the huge man to Horace's left with enormous biceps as he stepped around Magnus' chair. Before he could react, the man had reached down to pick up the black case that he had set down by his feet. "He's even purchased something at Diana's store," he exclaimed, handing the baggage over to Horace as he pointed out the logo on the side of the container.

That set off the third man. "Why would you allow this . . . _creature_ into your weapons store?" He pointed towards Magnus as he said this, his voice filled with venom. "And to purchase something? What were you thinking?"

Ignoring the malicious tone of the last man, Magnus pushed back his chair and stood up, reaching for the case that was now in Horace's hands. "Give that back! It's a gift."

"Clive," Horace called and the man that had picked up the warlock's purchase placed a hand on his shoulder, pushing Magnus back down into the chair.

"That's enough," Diana cried, raising her voice considerably. "Delaney," she continued, turning her full attention to the outraged man that had questioned her. "You have no right to question me about this. That is my shop, and I have every right to sell something to Magnus if I please. Now, Horace, if you would be so kind, please return Magnus' purchase and be on your way. You three have already caused enough of a scene."

It wasn't until then that Magnus fully took in how quiet the rest of the restaurant had become. Everyone seemed to be staring at their table with various looks of dismay, shock, and even amusement on a few faces. His eyes found Helen in the crowd, who was staring back at him with wide eyes.

Out of nowhere, Aline suddenly appeared at their table with two plates of food in her hands. Setting the plates down on the table, the woman turned to address the troublemakers. "Is there a problem here?" she asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yes, I want to speak to the owner about allowing this warlock into his establishment," Horace growled, sending daggers at Magnus.

"I'm afraid you can't do that."

"What?" Horace spat back at her. "What do you mean I can't?"

"Magnus isn't the one causing a scene right now. You are," Aline pointed out boldly. "I'm not going to call over the owner just to allow you to twist some story to make Magnus look bad. Now, I suggest you give Magnus back the case and leave, or I will get the owner to escort you out."

"You want to kick _us_ out?" Delaney growled and gestured towards the case that was still in Horace's hands. "He just bought something at Diana's weapon shop. For all we know, he could be planning to attack everyone in here."

"That doesn't sound like Magnus," Helen spoke up, slinking up behind Aline.

"I told you. It's a gift," Magnus said, reaching out in a lame attempt to try and regain the bow. His fingers just brushed against the plastic exterior of the container before Horace easily dodged his hand.

"A gift?" Clive tilted his head. "For who?"

"My husband," Magnus answered immediately, hoping the reminder of his relationship with the Inquisitor would get them to back off. "Alec's birthday is coming up soon."

"Enough!" Diana snapped as she abruptly stood up. She slammed her hands down on the table between them, causing the warlock to jump in his seat in surprise at the sudden outburst. "Magnus paid for that bow with his own money. It's his to do with as he pleases and you have no right to take it from him, and the owner of this café is perfectly fine with Magnus being here. He hasn't done anything wrong and all your pestering is doing is causing a scene, which I am sure the guard is going to be called by somebody here if this doesn't quiet down soon. Not only that, but I am sure our new Inquisitor is not going to appreciate your treatment of his husband just now, and you can guarantee I will make sure he hears about this." The three men had gone silent as she continued, "Now, if you don't want to make your consequences for your actions any worse, I highly suggest you hand Magnus back is purchase and get out of here, immediately."

Horace growled in Diana's direction before thrusting the black case at Magnus, causing it to bump into the table loudly.

"This isn't over, warlock," he threatened before turning and storming out of the building. With a final angry glare from both Clive Breakspear and Delaney Scarsbury, they both followed begrudgingly behind him.

Laying the black case across his lap, Magnus hugged the box to his chest, not fully believing the incident was over.

"Are you okay, Magnus?" Diana asked with concern as she took her seat again. She leaned forward over the table, one hand stretched out as if to try and comfort him.

Before Magnus could think of something to say, a whooshing sound came from behind him and he reached out in time to catch the fire-message as it came by and quickly looked it over.

"I have to go." The words came out sounding hollow to the warlock's ears.

"Is everything okay?" Helen asked with concern for her friend.

Magnus nodded slowly. "Alec was spending the day in New York. He's ready to come home. I need to get back to the apartment to create a portal for him." Setting the burnt paper down, he tapped a finger on the table near his plate of untouched food. "Can I get this to go?"

"Yeah, of course," Aline said, picking up his plate. She was about to turn to head back to the kitchen to retrieve a to-go box when Diana spoke up again.

"Me too, Aline. Helen, could you grab us our check?"

"What are you doing?" Magnus asked once the two women had walked away from their table. He was still clutching the case tightly. "You should stay and eat."

Diana squinted at him in reproach before tilting her head. "There's no way I am letting you walk home by yourself after what just happened." She waved off Magnus' attempt to deny the offer. "Alec would be furious at me if I left you alone right now. You know that. Besides, it wouldn't surprise me if those men were waiting around out there for you to come out. Let me at least accompany you to your building."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

Alec sluggishly made his way up the stairs, thoughts of Magnus waiting for him in their shared apartment urging him on. Another long meeting had taken up the majority of his day and when he finally allowed the council members to head home for the night, he had asked Horace, Clive, and Delaney to join him in his office.

He was thankful for what Diana had did yesterday, sticking up for his husband and accompanying the warlock back to his home afterwards. She had even stayed to explain to him everything that had happened after he returned through the portal Magnus had created for him.

If Alec had felt exhausted after his seemingly endless and argumentative meeting, it was nothing compared to how drained he felt after arguing with the men and their bigoted attitudes about their treatment of the warlock.

If anything was truly going to start changing around here he had a strong feeling he was going to have to rethink some of the members that were currently placed on the council; having so many close-minded people sitting in the confined space of the meeting room was not going to change the treatment of the Downworlders.

He knew he had to be careful about the way he went about it though. Wanting to create change in the Shadow World was all well and good, but he couldn't just go around firing people and replacing them with others that would agree with him. He did know for a fact that it had been done in the past, but that wasn't exactly how he wanted to run things. Having different opinions in the room to bounce ideas off of was always a relatively good thing in his mind, but the longer he sat arguing with his fellow Clave members made him seriously consider looking into possibly changing some of the people on his committee.

At least he was returning to his husband with some good news today.

Entering the apartment, Alec instantly found Magnus sitting on one of the couches in the living room, a book open in his lap.

"Alexander," Magnus greeted, looking up from his reading at the sound of his husband entering. "How was your day?"

"Long," Alec sighed and collapsed onto the cushion next to his husband. "Your bullies had a lot to say when I confronted them today."

Magnus closed his book and slid it onto the coffee table in front of them. "What happened?"

"They tried to claim that they didn't do anything wrong. That they were just looking out for the safety of everyone that was in the café." Alec locked eyes with Magnus before giving him the news. "I let them off with a warning this time."

The neutral expression that had been on the warlock's face up until this time instantly changed into a disappointed frown. "A warning?"

"They didn't harm you," Alec pointed out. "They didn't attack you or try to drag you out of the establishment. They didn't lay their hands on you in any way." Magnus still looked unhappy about the development, so Alec added, "They get one warning. If they try anything else . . . If anything else happens, tell me. Trust me, I'm not going to go light on them a second time."

Magnus still didn't appear pleased at all with the news as he got up to head to his alcohol cart.

"You're right," the warlock admitted slowly as he poured himself and Alec their drinks. "What happened yesterday . . . It could have gone a lot worse."

"I do have some good news," Alec admits, accepting the offered drink and waiting until Magnus was situated back in his seat next to him. "You know those laws that the Clave has in place over you?" Magnus nodded, an eyebrow pricked up expectantly. "The council has agreed to make a few changes."

Alec's heart warmed at the sparkle of hope that ignited in his husband's eyes at the news, which quickly shifted to a knife in his gut at the first words that left the man's mouth.

"My magic?"

Alec let out a soft sigh, knowing how much it hurt the man he loved to not be free to use his abilities in the city. "No, Magnus, I'm sorry. But a couple other changes have been made."

Magnus' shoulders slumped slightly at the news, but he still looked hopeful at the idea of some adjustments taking place. "Then which ones?"

"First, the law about not being allowed to step foot inside the Gard building; you can now visit me in my office any time you want. You just can't venture around the rest of the building."

The Downworlder's brow furrowed in confusion. "But if I can't step foot in the rest of the building, how can I–"

"Portals," Alec explained. "They are allowing you to portal from the apartment to my office and back again, but that is the only magic you are being allowed to use outside of our home right now and _only_ in my office," Alec stated sternly, hoping Magnus would grasp the seriousness of the request.

Magnus nodded slowly in acceptance of the new law. Deep down, he figured it was probably a test that the Clave was giving him. If he could be found to be trusted to only perform this one simple spell outside of the apartment, maybe the council members would see that he could be trusted to use more complicated magic out in public and be reassured that he wasn't going to hurt anyone else in the process.

"Okay, what else?"

At this, Alec couldn't help but grin at his husband. "Those posters that have been hanging up in all the stores and restaurants in the city. First thing in the morning, a notice is going to be sent out to all of the business owners and by tomorrow afternoon, all of the posters discriminating against you are being ordered to be taken down."

A small grin started to grow on Magnus' face. "Really?"

"Yeah, in less than twelve hours you will be free to go wherever you want without me having to tag along."

To Alec's surprise, the smile that had suddenly appeared on Magnus' face slowly vanished, turning into a frown. With a dejected look, he turned to stare into the glass that was in his hands.

Alec sipped at his own drink, but slowly lowered it as he took note of the man's slumped posture. "Mags?" he asked, tilting his head as he studied his husband. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy about this?"

"You know, just because they are going to be told they have to serve me, doesn't mean they are going to be happy about it."

Alec placed a comforting hand on his arm. "If anyone tries to give you trouble, just let me know," he reassured. "It may be hard for them to accept it at first, but they'll eventually come around to it."

"I guess . . ." Magnus sighed, before bringing his cup to his lips.

The Shadowhunter let his eyes drift to the glass doors that led out onto the balcony and took note of the fact that the sun was still high in the sky.

"Have you had dinner yet?" Alec asked, turning his attention back to the Downworlder.

"No."

"Do you want to try that Italian restaurant we saw downtown? We still have a few hours before sunset."

Back when Alec and Magnus lived in New York, they would frequently go out to eat all the time. They had even made it a challenge to see how many restaurants they could dine-out at in the busy streets of the city. Magnus hadn't been burdened by any laws in New York, which gave them no excuse to have to hurry home every night.

Having to always keep track of the setting sun, and making sure he got the warlock back inside before dark was getting exhausting. It was also one of the rules that the Clave had ordered that made no sense to Alec. With this thought in mind, he vowed to make it one of the next laws he would focus on changing at the next council meeting.

"Sure," Magnus acknowledged with a nod at the thought of food, and quickly finished off the rest of his drink before setting the glass down on the end table.

* * *

Dinner had gone by without incident.

A few ugly looks here and there, but Magnus had grown accustomed to those by this point and had been able to ignore them. In fact, when Alec was by his side, no one ever said anything rude to him . . . or anything at all for that matter.

If someone did ever approach the new Inquisitor in public for a quick conversation, which had happened a handful of times during their stay in Alicante so far, very few even acknowledged Magnus' presence. Being stared at and ignored he could handle. It was the taunting comments and harassment that made him uncomfortable in this city.

"Your birthday is next week," Magnus reminded cheerfully as the two of them walked hand-in-hand down the sidewalk. "Do you have any plans for the big day?"

"Isabelle and Jace are making arrangements back in New York for a party with our family and friends," Alec explained. He smiled at the memory of his sister's excitement over the plans that she was making for his birthday when she had called him that morning.

"How is Jace?" Magnus asked as the name was brought up. "Did it help having you visit him yesterday?"

Alec let out a heavy sigh. "He's still having a hard time with not being allowed to see Clary, but Isabelle talked to him again last night and has convinced him to help out with some of the plans for the party coming up. From what Izzy told me this morning, having something else to focus on other than demon attacks seems to already be helping some. Maybe he just needed a reminder of some of the happier parts in his life that are still here."

Magnus nodded. "Yeah, heartache is one of the worst emotions that someone can experience. I've suffered through it more times than I can count myself."

Before Alec could respond to that, his phone went off and he slowed their walk as he pulled the device out of his pocket. After a quick glance at the caller ID he placed the phone against his ear.

"Hey, Jia," he greeted.

Magnus waited patiently as Alec listened to the voice on the other end of the line. It wasn't long before Alec turned to look at Magnus with a frown.

"This can't wait until tomorrow?" he asked into the phone, pulling him and Magnus to a stop on the side of the street. "Okay . . . Okay, I'll be right there. Bye."

"Is everything alright?" Magnus asked in concern as Alec slid his phone back into his pocket.

"Yeah, there are just some files that Jia forgot to ask me to look over before I left for the day that need my signature," the Shadowhunter explained, rubbing his thumb over the back of the warlock's hand. "Sorry, Mags. I'm going to have to run by the Gard real quick."

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure I can make it home just fine on my own," Magnus assured with a smirk.

Bringing them to another stop at the end of the street, Alec turned to face his husband. "This shouldn't take long, okay? I'll be home soon. Maybe you could pick out a movie for us to watch tonight?"

"Sure," Magnus said, sending him a teasing grin before continuing, "You okay with a rom-com tonight, or would you rather we watch something with more action?"

Alec rolled his eyes at the comment. "Whatever you want."

With a short kiss on the lips, Alec turned away to continue along the sidewalk by himself. Magnus watched after him until his husband disappeared around a corner before turning to cross the street and made his way into Angel Square.

He was almost halfway across the plaza when a strange tingling sensation danced along the back of the warlock's neck. Over his many years of life, Magnus had grown to trust this eerie feeling that would randomly come over him every now and then.

Something wasn't right.

With a quick scan of his surroundings, the warlock was surprised to find the plaza appearing to be empty. Usually people would still be roaming around the streets this close to sunset and the eerie quiet of the evening made the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. Even with the apparent desertion of the square, he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched, and he suddenly wished that Alec hadn't have left him alone to head back to work.

Hoping to shake off the ominous feeling that had seeped into his veins, Magnus turned and proceeded towards the huge bronze statue of the Angel Raziel that was placed in the center of the plaza.

The Downworlder was just passing the sculpture when the sound of pounding footsteps alerted him to someone quickly approaching from behind. Before he could spin around to face the person, something hit him hard on the back of his head.

And everything went dark.

* * *

With a smile on his face, Alec bounded up the stairs of the apartment building, ready for a night alone with his husband.

Luckily, the paperwork that Jia had needed him to look over and sign wasn't too extensive, and he was able to make it back home in less than an hour after leaving Magnus alone on the sidewalk.

With his plans for the night circling in his head, Alec reached for the handle of their apartment door and was surprised to find the entrance locked and frowned in confusion. Magnus didn't usually lock the door when he knew Alec wasn't going to be far behind him.

He stumbled back a step in surprise at the sight of an almost translucent blue light shimmering up the black door and Alec's eyebrows went up in alarm. Magnus' wards were still up. Lately, Magnus had gotten into the habit of only setting up his wards whenever they were going out for a few hours and at night, before going to sleep. Why Magnus would feel the need to leave them up for the short amount of time that the warlock was going to be home without him was worrying to Alec.

Pulling out his stele, Alec quickly drew his unlock rune and opened the door, stepping through his husband's protection wards.

"Magnus?" he called. Closing the door behind him, he walked into the living room and gave his surroundings a quick scan, but didn't spy the warlock.

After giving a quick peek inside the man's office, the Shadowhunter turned towards the master bedroom on the other side of the room.

Both were empty.

"Mags?" he tried again.

Silence.

Trying to fight the growing panic that was clutching at his heart, Alec dashed back across the living room and hurried up the spiral staircase. He hoped he would find Magnus up there, too busy getting things set up for their movie night to hear him calling for him, but when Alec got up there it didn't take long for him to take in the sight of the dark TV screen and no warlock searching through their huge movie collection.

The black metal staircase made soft clanging noises as Alec flew back down them. He took a couple deep breaths trying to calm his rising heartbeat. There could be any number of reasons why Magnus hadn't made it home yet.

Digging out his cell phone from his pocket, Alec scrolled through his contacts before finding his husband's number and put the device to his ear. He heard it ring five times, each one seemingly longer than the last before Magnus' personalized voicemail greeting reached his ears.

It wasn't until then that real panic began to soar through Alec's body. It felt like a knife was stabbing him through his heart. Magnus always picked up his phone when Alec called him.

Always.

Making a beeline for the closed balcony doors, Alec yanked the door open and stepped outside to find the sky was starting to turn shades of orange and red as the sun drew closer and closer to the horizon.

They had maybe an hour at most before nightfall. Alec didn't even want to think about what would happen to Magnus if he broke one of the Clave's rules and stayed out after dark, and Magnus knew how important it was for him to follow the demands of the council right now. He wouldn't risk being out this late without at least letting Alec know that he was going to be home soon . . .

Unless . . .

Something bad had happened to him.

Dread for his husband's safety powering him forward, Alec flew back towards the front door of the loft and raced for the exit of the apartment complex.

He had to find Magnus.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

Alec could feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins as he made his way down the sidewalk; he could feel the rapid beats of his pounding heart in his chest like it was trying to escape. Labored breaths forced its way out of his parted lips as his eyes darted wildly, desperately searching the streets of Alicante for his lover.

The young Inquisitor did his best to try and appear calm to the handful of Shadowhunters that he passed along the streets. The last thing he needed was for someone to stop and stall him with questions about his fidgeting limbs when Magnus was out there somewhere by himself.

Part of him desperately wanted to alert the public about the missing warlock. The more people keeping an eye out for him, the faster they could probably find him and get him back inside where he was safe, but Alec couldn't risk putting Magnus in any more danger than he could already be in. If the news got back to the council that his husband, the lone warlock in Idris, was missing and unaccounted for this close to nightfall, then the Clave would surely find some way to twist this to make it sound like Magnus was untrustworthy and a danger to the public.

No . . . He had to be careful about who he informed about his missing husband.

Alec couldn't help it as his eyes continued to drift towards the slowly sinking sun that was sitting over the horizon and sweat played on his brow at the thought of him being too late to save his warlock.

Hurrying around a corner, Alec made his way into Angel Square and stopped at the sight in front of him. A few benches were set up around the outskirts of the square for Shadowhunters to stop and rest on during the day and, in an otherwise empty courtyard, Alec could just make out the image of a man tied to one of the seats on the far side. Three men were standing around their victim, seemingly taunting the poor man, and as Alec watched on, one of the members of the small group threw something at their target causing their prey to lower his head in defeat.

Alec's stomach twisted in a mixture of disgust and hatred at the sight of the man being treated that way. Before he could fully comprehend what he was doing, he took off in a sprint down the length of the square. It wasn't until he drew closer that the man's light brown skin tone and spiky hair became more noticeable, and with a sinking heart, Alec realized that the guy that was currently stuck in this ongoing predicament was Magnus.

In that same moment, Alec felt his heart skip a beat as the man that he could now recognize as Horace Dearborn, pulled a dagger out that had been glamoured at his side and approached the warlock with it.

"Leave him alone!" Alec cried out, picking up his pace considerably.

At the sound of his voice, Horace paused briefly in his taunting of the warlock to look back at the young Inquisitor before turning and taking off in the opposite direction, fleeing the scene of the crime. Alec had enough precedence of mind to take note of the identity of the other two men, Clive Breakspear and Delaney Scarsbury, before they also turned tail and fled the scene after their ringleader.

Part of Alec desperately wanted to go after the culprits for holding Magnus captive and humiliating him; after all, it was he who had initially let them off with a warning for calling out the warlock at the café the other day, but there would be plenty of time to deal with the men's misdeeds later.

Nearing the bench where Magnus was tied up, Alec quickly kneeled in front of the warlock and studied his husband's sulking expression; small clumps from a rotten tomato were sticking to his forehead and cheeks.

As the Downworlder slowly lifted his head to look at his savior, his striking cat eyes on full display, a glob of the mess fell from his face and landed in his lap, red juice now covering the man's usually pristine clothes. Seeing his immortal and very powerful warlock reduced to this was heartbreaking to the Shadowhunter.

"Magnus," Alec breathed out in a sigh, using his thumbs to brush away some of the mess from his cheeks. Under the mushy substance, the warlock was paler than usual. "Baby, are you alright?"

"Alexander . . ." His name left the rejected man's mouth in a half sob, a few tears catching in his eyelashes. The warlock's eyes drifted to the right briefly before his breath hitched in his throat. "The sun . . ."

Turning to follow his husband's line of sight, Alec's eyebrow raised at the sight of the sun growing closer and closer to the horizon. "Shit."

Getting to his feet, Alec rested one knee on the bench as he leaned over to reach for the ropes that were securing Magnus' hands behind him. Alec had to admit, those monsters had done a thorough job of securing the Downworlder to the seat. A few tugs on the string was all that was needed for the Shadowhunter to realize how tight they were around his warlock's arms.

"Magnus, do you think you could use some of your magic to loosen the ropes?"

Magnus' head fell forward at the words. "I - I can't . . ."

"It's just me here, Mags. I'm not going to tell anyone," Alec tried to encourage him as he continued to work on the bindings. "It's just . . . we don't have a lot of time here."

Magnus simply shook his head dejectedly at the request. Alec frowned in confusion at his husband's response but dropped the matter for the time being. The warlock had been through a lot tonight already.

After another minute or two, which Magnus spent fidgeting uncomfortably on the bench, Alec managed to loosen the ropes and quickly pocketed the bindings to use as evidence later.

With his hands now free, Magnus had started to rub at one of his wrists. Resting a hand on his shoulder, Alec tried to get Magnus to move to his feet but the warlock didn't seem to register what he was doing.

"Get it off," the Downworlder moaned, continuing to pull at something under his left coat sleeve. "Please . . . Get it off."

Perplexed at the man's pleas, Alec kneeled back in front of his husband again and pulled the sleeve up just enough to see the white magic dampening cuff that was locked onto the warlock's wrist.

Alec felt his cheeks heat up and his jaw clenched in anger at the sight of the offending item locked around his husband's arm. Guilt soared through him.

He could have prevented this.

He should have gone harder on Horace and his followers before. Let them know that their behavior towards the warlock was not going to be tolerated with him in charge, but he hadn't wanted to start his initiation into office by ruling with a cold and stern fist like Imogen had.

Instinctively, Alec reached for the stele that he always kept close at hand only to find it missing from his person. The last he could remember using it was when he drew the unlock rune back at their apartment to let himself into their home. He vaguely remembered setting the instrument down on a counter just a few feet from the entrance before having quickly searched the loft for his missing husband, and sighed at the realization that Magnus was going to have to make the walk back to their home in pain from the cuff.

Giving one more panicked look in the direction of the setting sun, Alec placed a hand gentle on his husband's face, cupping his cheek. "Magnus, we need to go. We have to get you inside."

"It hurts . . . It hurts . . ."

"I know," Alec sighed, giving the man's arm a squeeze to get Magnus to focus on his words and waited until the Downworlder's unglamoured eyes locked on his. "I left my stele at home, Magnus. I promise, I'll get it off you as soon as we get back. Okay?"

After a second's hesitation, Magnus slowly nodded his head in acceptance. At this, Alec quickly jumped back to his feet and reached for his arm again to help his husband up. The warlock swayed on his feet for a moment, and Alec wrapped an arm around his shoulders to help keep his lover balanced.

"Come on. We have to hurry," Alec insisted gently, before ushering them back down Angel Square as fast as he could get the warlock to move, praying that they would make it back inside in time.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

The last rays of sunlight were just disappearing over the horizon as Alec hurried Magnus around the corner, the entrance to their apartment building now in sight. Luckily, there was no one in sight on the road and Alec was able to shove the door to the lobby out his way and got his husband inside with little hassle.

Not wanting to risk running into someone on the elevator and having not only to explain why Magnus was out so late, but also the state that his husband was currently in, Alec reluctantly decided to go for the stairwell. It would be a lot harder on Magnus, who was already worn out and in pain from everything that he had experienced today, but it was better than putting him through any more humiliation and harassment from his fellow Shadowhunters that also resided in the building.

Alec's heart plummeted at the resounding groan that escaped Magnus' lips as he helped his warlock up the first flight of steps. The man's joints didn't seem to want to cooperate with him and he almost stumbled a couple of times, only being kept from falling due to Alec's strong hold around his shoulders.

"It's okay, Magnus," Alec whispered in his ear, encouraging him on. "It's okay. We're almost there."

A huge wave of relief flooded Alec when they finally made it to their floor and he quickly pushed open the door that he had left unlocked during his mad dash out of the apartment.

Without pausing, Alec retrieved his stele that was resting on the counter of the storage compartment that was displayed to the left of the hallway that separated the front door from the living room, and continued farther into the loft, steering Magnus in the direction of their shared bedroom.

Switching on the light in the attached bathroom, Alec got his husband situated on the closed toilet seat before getting on his knees and pulled up the sleeve of Magnus' jacket to expose the restraint that was still clasped tightly onto his wrist. Activating his stele, Alec ran the glowing tip across the groove of the bracelet, causing it to fall open immediately.

Tossing the offending instrument to the other side of the sink in an attempt to get the cuff far away from Magnus, Alec set his stele down on the counter near him before grabbing Magnus' wrist and rubbing the slightly red skin with his hands. Locking eyes with his spouse, Alec was relieved to see the color was already starting to return to his face.

"Is that better?"

Magnus just nodded his head slowly, and used the hand that Alec wasn't holding to wipe away some of the sludge that was still sticking to his skin.

Alec got up, leaving Magnus long enough to grab a face towel from the linen closet and run the fabric under the water from the facet before returning to care for his husband. Gently pushing his hand out of the way, Alec began to wash the residue off of him.

"I'm so sorry, Magnus."

For the first time since returning home, Magnus' sad eyes looked up at him. "Why? This wasn't your fault."

"But it is." Alec wiped the towel gently under the Downworlder's eyes, being mindful of not getting any of the red juices into the man's unglamored mark. "I should have done something more. I shouldn't have just let them off with a warning this morning. I-"

Magnus reached for Alec's shoulder, clutching lightly to the fabric under his fingers. "This would have happened either way." The flat tone in his husband's voice worried Alec as he continued. "Even if you had gone harder on them, they would have still been mad . . . Probably more so then they were just now."

Alec cupped Magnus' cheek, wishing there was something more he could do to get rid of the hurt and rejection that was pouring from the warlock.

"They're not going to get away with this, Magnus," Alec assured. "I promise."

With that said, Alec suddenly noticed how fidgety the warlock was getting, pulling at his clothes.

"Are you okay?" he asked, concerned.

Magnus forced out a rough chuckle, which caused a small flinch from Alec due to the lack of humor behind it. He rarely saw this side of Magnus.

"The tomatoes . . . The juice . . . It's seeping through my clothes . . ."

Without another word, Alec jumped up and stepped around the toilet to turn on the shower.

"Then let's get you cleaned up."

* * *

Diana Wrayburn propped her head up with one hand, fingers tapping erratically on the desk as she did her best to drone out the various screeches from the other council members.

It was rare to have two Clave meetings in one week, even more so back-to-back on consecutive days. Add on the fact that this assembly had been announced just mere hours ago caused everyone to be even more on edge then usual, and no one had the slightest idea as to why Alec had called this meeting in the first place.

"This is ridiculous!" Horace slammed his hand down on the table in frustration. "Our new Inquisitor orders us all to gather here on the dot and he doesn't even bother to show up on time himself? Where is Lightwood?"

"Lightwood-Bane," Diana corrected calmly from the other side of the desk, keeping her voice even. Horace sent an infuriated glare in her direction, but she ignored him, choosing instead to glance up at the clock.

It wasn't like Alec to be late for one of his council meetings, and from what Diana had witnessed in the short few weeks that the new Inquisitor had been in charge, Alec took his job very seriously. He had to know the uproar that he would cause among his co-workers at requesting such a last minute assembly this late in the afternoon. Whatever was going on must have seemed crucial to their young leader.

So where the hell was he?

To Diana's relief, Alec Lightwood-Bane flounced into the room a few minutes later. Her solace quickly depleted though at the stone cold expression she noted on his face . . . and of the sight of the six Clave Guards that trailed in behind him. The men in uniforms stood patiently in the background, waiting for the Inquisitor's orders as Alec took his seat at the head of the table. She didn't have time to fret about it further as Alec ordered the few Shadowhunters that weren't gathered around the table to take a seat so they could get started.

"I'm sure you are all wondering why I called this meeting," Alec started. He paused to take in the silent stares before divulging, "My husband was attacked last night."

"What?" came the soft retort from farther down the table. Diana didn't need to turn to know that the voice came from Helen, or that most of the other people gathered were wearing expressions of indifference as she casted a somewhat curious glance at the Guards.

"I still don't understand the point of this meeting," a woman with straight black hair commented a couple seats down from Diana. "In the section of the Accords that discusses that warlock of yours being in Alicante, it states that _you_ are that creature's guardian. If you couldn't keep that Downworlder under better supervision, that isn't our problem."

"Supervision?" Alec growled. "Magnus is an adult. He should be fully capable of walking home by himself. And according to the law that you just referenced, as long as Magnus adheres to the rules, he is supposed to be safe here. Nobody is supposed to bother or interfere with his life here in Idris."

Fury was in Alec's eyes as he scanned the room. His gaze seemed to have locked on to someone in his audience, but Diana was too stunned by the Inquisitor's words to try and figure out who he was addressing.

"As for why I am bringing this up here . . . This wasn't just some passerby that decided to have their fun with my husband."

"Blasphemy!" Diana jumped at the sound and spun to find Horace Dearborn out of his seat and leaning over the table, pointing accusingly at Alec. "Don't you dare accuse me of this! You never should have brought the monster here to begin with."

"Oh, don't try and deny it. You know I saw you," Alec spat back. "You, along with Clive Breakspear and Delaney Scarbury," he added, nodding in their direction before focusing on Horace again, "tied Magnus to one of the benches in Angel Square and placed a magic dampening cuff on him. You humiliated him all because I called you out on your behavior towards him at the café the other day."

"We did no such thing!"

"Really?" Alec taunted, before slipping something white out of his pocket and placing it on the table in front of him for everyone to see, his eyes not leaving Horace's. "Because I just checked with the staff in the storage room. You are the only one that currently has one of these signed out."

Diana's mind froze at the sight of the magic dampening cuff resting a few feet from her. She almost missed Jia's demanding voice from the other side of the room.

"Is this true, Horace?" Jia's expression wasn't as hard as Alec's, but she was still clearly upset with the evidence that was being laid out in front of them. "You know that dampening cuffs are considered a mild form of torture. They are only supposed to be used under extreme circumstances. Otherwise, it goes against the Accords."

"It _was_ an emergency," Clive cried out, leaning forward over the table to glare in Jia's direction. "No one else seems to see or care what is happening around here because of this man," he points in Alec's direction. "Our home is going to soon be infested with demon blooded creatures. Someone had to step up and show that warlock that things are not going to change around here."

"That is not an excuse for using a dampening cuff on him," Jia insisted sternly.

"Horace Dearborn, Clive Breakspear, and Delaney Scarsbury," Alec stated in a determined voice, waving the Guard members forward. "You are under arrest for the assault, harassment, and kidnapping of a Downworlder."

The once silent audience suddenly burst into mixed cries of outrage and astonishment as everyone rose up from their seats. A few of the council members that were in approval of the warlock's presence in Idris blocked the offenders attempts to make a break for the door as they waited for the Guards to push their way through the otherwise enraged crowd.

Ignoring the commotion that had erupted around him, Alec calmly started to get up and leave before Jia came up to him, stopping him long enough to collect the magic dampening cuff and the rope that he also had on him from Magnus' attack, taking them as evidence in the hate crime.

Diana attempted to approach Alec before he could leave the meeting room, but got blocked by one of her co-workers who wasn't paying attention as they argued with each other over the events that had just transpired. With a few skillful dodging moves, Diana made her way through the suddenly seemingly over crowded room and hurried to catch up with the Inquisitor.

"Alec!"

Alec slowed down at the sound of his name and glanced back over his shoulder. Seeing Diana, he came to a stop in the middle of the hallway and waited for her to catch up to him before continuing on, allowing her to walk with him.

"How is Magnus doing?" she asked, head still spinning from the accusation that Alec had announced just minutes before. "Is he okay?"

Alec sighed, shaking his head slowly. "Physically, he's fine, but . . ."

"He's home alone right now?"

He nodded once. "I hate it, but I still have some paperwork I need to go over before I can leave for the night. I told him to call me if he needs anything."

"I'm sorry," Diana sighed. "Maybe if I had done something differently at the café the other day . . . Reacted differently-"

"Don't," Alec stated firmly. "What they did to Magnus yesterday has nothing to do with how you handled the situation at the café. Horace, Clive, and Delaney . . . They chose to take their anger out on Magnus. That has nothing to do with you."

"But-"

"No," Alec tried again. "I don't blame you for any of this, and I know Magnus doesn't either. I'm glad you were there for him."

They walked in silence for a while until they made it to Alec's office, where he held the door open for her to step inside with him.

"So, about Magnus . . ." Diana started, finding her voice again. "Does he want to be alone right now, or do you think he would enjoy some company?"

Alec sent her a small smile as he got himself comfortable behind his desk. "As you know, Magnus doesn't really have a lot of people around here he can trust. I'm sure he would love to see a friendly face right now. You don't mind checking in on him?"

"Not at all."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

For the last week, Magnus had cautiously started to venture out into the streets more often without the company of his Shadowhunter husband.

With the initial order by the new Inquisitor for the business owner's to take down their discriminating signs against him, Magnus was hesitant about walking into another situation that could put him at risk. Being bullied by Horace Dearborn and his cohorts had set him on edge, and to find himself alone during another confrontation . . . He was not looking forward to being made a target once again.

It was actually Diana Wrayburn that had talked him into going out the day after Horace, Clive, and Delaney had been arrested for their assault on him. The last thing he had wanted to do was to return to the streets of Alicante so soon, but Diana had refused to take no for an answer.

"The last thing you should be doing right now is wallowing in self pity," Diana had pressed him after making her surprise visit that morning. "You need to get out of the apartment. The longer you hide away and dwell on what happened, the harder it will be to face the public again. You need to prove it to yourself that it was a one time thing and not everyone is going to jump on the offensive with you."

She had been right.

Ever since that day, Magnus and Diana's friendship had grown closer. Besides for Alec, Helen, and Aline, there was no one else that the Downworlder felt safe with among the hateful Shadowhunters that plagued this city. Even so, the one condition Magnus had insisted on with the idea of accompanying Diana outside was that after every outing, they return to the loft with plenty of time before sundown. One close call was too much, and he didn't want to find out what the Clave would have in mind for him if he ever disobeyed them.

Surely it would be worse than anything that Horace and his friends had dished out.

Just as Magnus had expected, the shop owners and restaurant employees always gave him a wide berth and disapproving scowls when he would walk into their establishments, which always seemed more intense when he was by himself. It wasn't uncommon for him to also catch a rude comment that the employees would whisper to each other behind his back. So far, he hadn't said much about these incidents to Alec, deciding to save the tattling for if any one decided to say or do something to his face.

The residence in Alicante never let him forget that he was not wanted there by most of them, which was why Magnus was relieved to be able to accompany Alec back to New York City today to visit with Shadowhunters that actually wanted him around.

"So, how's it going in Idris?" Jace asked. A plate of snacks was in his hand from the small buffet table that Isabelle had organized. "Are you enjoying the new job?"

Alec shrugged, scanning the room that was filled with his old co-workers and a hand full of their Downworlder friends mingling with each other. It was a nice change of pace to be somewhere and see Shadowhunters and Downworlders getting along so well. Alec could still remember the struggle that it had taken him to help get the two species to get along. Now, he was starting over from scratch in a different city.

Alec took a drink from his plastic cup before addressing his adopted brother. "Some days are better than others. Things have been pretty tense lately between me and the other council members this last week. Honestly, it's nice to get away from them for a little while."

Magnus' hand that had been resting on his husband's arm squeezed his bicep in a show of support and reassurance.

Before Jace could question him farther a voice spoke up next to them.

"Happy Birthday, Alec."

All three of the men looked up to find Andrew coming up to join their group.

"Thanks, Underhill," Alec greeted with a smile. "How have you been?"

"I'm good. I haven't had the chance to congratulate you yet on the promotion," Underhill continued, before glancing in Magnus' direction, his tone turning sympathetic. "I heard about what happened with Horace and the others. You okay?"

Magnus nodded slowly, allowing his hand to slide down Alec's arm to grab his husband's hand. "I'm fine. Things have been getting slightly better between me and the other Shadowhunters. Of course, we still have a ways to go before they completely accept me living there."

Andrew nodded at his words. "I'm glad you're doing okay though. You certainly got a lot of people talking all over the world."

Magnus blinked in surprise at the news. The cup in his hand froze halfway to his lips. "What?"

"Yeah, do you have any idea how huge this is? You are the first Downworlder to be accepted into Idris," Andrew explained. "A lot of Downworlders have been snooping around for information on how things are going over there. They're hoping that this will mean even more progressions in the near future with the segregation that is still going on between Shadowhunters and Downworlders all over the world."

Magnus gaped at him, having trouble forming words. Sure, he had grown accustomed to having the warlock population in New York looking up to him for leadership during his reign as High Warlock, but being seen as an activist for all Downworlders around the world . . .

"What happened with Horace and the others?" Underhill asked Alec, giving Magnus a moment to get himself together.

"They were arrested last week and are now being held at the Guard until their hearing." Alec sighed, glancing at Magnus next to him. "I'm still not sure how we're going to get around that."

"What do you mean?" Jace asked, clearly confused.

"According to the Accords, the council is to act as the jury for all trials organized in Idris." Alec nodded towards the warlock beside him. "We already know most of the Clave is not excited about the idea of Magnus being there, so . . ."

"So, you think that the Clave is going to act biased to the proceedings?" Underhill guessed.

"Yeah." Alec nodded once. "Things between me and most of the council members have been strained ever since I ordered the arrest. I can already tell things won't go our way if they get to determine the verdict. It wouldn't be a fair hearing. I think it would be better if it were moved elsewhere. I want to talk to Izzy after the party about holding it here in New York."

"You know, you didn't have to make the arrest so public with the rest of the Clave," Magnus noted, finding his voice again.

Alec shook his head. "I needed to make a point in front of them all. They have been acting so small minded about everything since Imogen went back to them to write out those rules you know have to follow. Downworlder or not, you are my husband and they need to respect that."

* * *

Thirty minutes later, Isabelle ordered the majority of the Shadowhunters under her leadership to get back to work before instructing their family and closest friends to join them in her office for cake and presents.

Max and Madzie made themselves comfortable on the couch with their slices of cake, talking happily with each other, while Maryse, Luke, and Catarina gathered near the balcony doors on the other side of the room.

"Yeah, we could definitely hold the trial here," Isabelle confirmed. She was sitting in the chair behind her desk as she glanced over a few papers that laid in front of her. "You will just need to portal the suspects here. When do you want to move them?"

"Probably the sooner the better," Jace advised as he leaned against the side of the desk, locking eyes with his parabatai across from him. "If the members of the council really are as upset about these arrests as you say they are, Alec, you might want to transfer Horace, Clive, and Delaney here within the next couple of days."

"What, you think someone's going to just let them go?" Simon asked. The vampire was standing to the right of his girlfriend behind the desk, hands folded across his chest. He frowned at the stern look Jace shot at him. "But won't they need an order from Alec to release them?"

"Not necessarily," Alec admitted reluctantly. "The council can vote to release them before their trial if they deem them as not being a risk to the public."

"So . . . they can just decide to let them go without posting bail?" Simon reasoned out loud.

"Exactly." Magnus nodded his head, pushing the crumbs from his slice of cake around on the plate in his hands. "And from what Alexander has told me, very few members of the board care about what they did to me."

"It would be harder for them to affect what goes on with the offenders if they aren't being held in Alicante," Alec agreed. "I would like to have them transferred here as soon as possible."

"Of course, just inform me a few hours before you decide to have them moved. I'll make sure we have everything prepared for them here," Isabella assured.

"Great." Simon smiled as the conversation seemed to reach its conclusion. "Now that that's settled, how about we return to the party? Alec still has presents to open."

"Yes! Presents!" Madzie cheered from behind them. Using magic to make her now empty plate and fork disappear, the young warlock hopped off the couch and ran over to the table that Isabelle had set up along the wall to stack the gifts on. "Open mine first, Alec!"

After quickly cleaning up the discarded plates and utensils that were used to consume the cake Maryse had brought with her, Alec made himself comfortable on the couch to open his birthday presents.

It wasn't long before a pile of ripped up wrapping paper sat discarded on the ground under the table, the birthday boy's new gifts stacked around him on the surface and the couch beside him.

"Last one," Isabelle finally announced and Alec pushed aside the last gift he had opened to make room for the large, rectangle shaped box that he noticed his sister was carrying over towards him. The wrapping paper that covered it was white with different colored birthday hats and balloons decorating it.

Pulling the big box closer to him, Alec studied the surface of the present but didn't find any evidence of a card or a name printed on the paper.

"Who is this from?" Alec asked as he scanned the crowd that was gathered around him and tapped a finger on the box.

"That one's from me."

Turning towards the sound of the voice, Alec's eyes landed on his husband who was smirking at him.

"Magnus," he acknowledged, grinning at him before turning back to the gift and started to tear off the wrapping paper.

Underneath was a plastic, black case. Curiosity growing, Alec undid the clasps that secured the box closed and gasped as he opened it up.

The glossy black texture of the object caught under the overhead lights making it appear to shine in front of his eyes, and the light gray runes that decorated the piece-

"Mags," Alec breathed out the name in astonishment, not being able to take his eyes off of the gift.

"Alec?" Maryse's voice rang out above him. "What is it?"

Alec lifted the beautiful bow out of the case so his family and friends could get a better look at it, and was surprised at how light the weapon felt in his hands.

"Do you like it?"

Alec couldn't help the huge grin that grew on his face as he finally peeled his eyes away from his brand new bow to look at his husband. A shy smile was playing on the warlock's lips as he waited for a response.

Alec felt Jace retrieve the weapon from his hands and he quickly got up to hug Magnus.

"It's perfect," he whispered in his ear before pulling back to look into the Downworlder's eyes. "Thank you."

Magnus' eyes sparkled as they stared back at his husband. "Happy Birthday, Alexander."

Closing the distance once again, Alec captured his husband's lips with his.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

More than a week had passed since Alec's birthday party.

There was a lot of paperwork and arrangements that had to be made, but Alec had finally gotten the all clear to have Horace Dearborn, Clive Breakspear, and Delaney Scarsbury moved to the cells at the New York Institute.

With his husband gone for the day, Magnus had agreed to help out Diana at her weapons shop. This arrangement had started the day after the party. It was still a rare occurrence for any Shadowhunter in Idris to come to Magnus looking for a potion or other spell that he was allowed to prepare within the confines of his loft to sell. It had taken his friend some work to convince him to accept the retail position, but craving the need to seem useful somewhere, Magnus had eventually taken Diana up on her offer for a part-time job at _Diana's Arrow_.

"Are you sure you want to hire me?" Magnus had questioned nervously.

Diana angled her head to one side as she studied him. "I wouldn't have offered you the position if I wasn't sure. Besides, this could help you. Not only would it provide a job that will keep you busy instead of just lounging around all day waiting for Alec to return home at night, but it will also encourage you to mingle with the public more."

"But don't you think it would cause a severe drop in your sales? People already give me strange looks when I walk by them on the streets, and many try to avoid coming anywhere near more." Diana snorted out a chuckle. Magnus scowled at the woman's response before continuing. "Seriously, I've seen Shadowhunters ducking into shops or alleyways; some have even sprinted across the road to the other side, just to avoid having to come close and pass me on the street."

"You're exaggerating." Diana shook her head in disbelief.

"No, I'm not. People pause when they see me coming. They get this terrified look in their eyes and they bolt in the other direction."

"You are talking about Shadowhunters, Magnus. Why would they run away from one lone warlock?"

"Because of my connection with the Inquisitor," Magnus insisted. "Everyone knows about my relationship with Alec. And don't forget about the arrest of Horrace and his friends after they attacked me. No Shadowhunter is going to want to risk pissing off my husband right now, especially with the upcoming trial."

A long silence had stretched over the room. After a minute, Diana let out a soft sigh.

"Okay, how about we do a trial run?" Diana reasoned. "You come and work for me part-time for a month, and we'll see how it goes. If sales really drop that badly and people are treating you poorly under my roof, I'll drop the idea entirely."

Which was how Magnus had found himself working in a shop serving Shadowhunters in a city that ridiculed his presence.

It wasn't as bad as he thought it would be, but that wasn't saying much . . .

Diana had her handful of regular customers; those needing to purchase replacement throwing daggers or other misplaced weaponry, along with more bullets or arrows as needed. The regulars got used to seeing him around fairly quickly, but that didn't mean they were respectable to him. Many still gave him weird looks and threw some hateful language his way, but Magnus quickly learned which hunters wanted help finding their items and which ones to stay the hell away from.

Alec had sent him a fire message during his shift to let him know that he was going to be staying in New York for a few more hours to work out some details for the upcoming trial. So, when Diana had finally allowed him to leave for the day, Magnus decided to pick something up at one of the restaurants near the business for an early dinner.

Despite feeling drained from his constant discrimination, Magnus wasn't quite ready to go home yet. The weather was warm for September and he wished to enjoy the heat of the bright sun for as long as he could.

Angel Square was still crowded with Shadowhunters, but Magnus managed to find an empty bench right in front of the bronze statue that stood in the center of the plaza. A group of kids, too young to even have their first runes yet, were busy playing under the statue. Three women were talking amongst themselves a few yards away, assumedly the parents of the young children.

Watching the children play out of the corner of his eye, Magnus pulled out his take-out box from the paper bag and ripped open the plastic to get out his utensils. The aroma coming from inside the white box had his stomach growling and he quickly dug into his meal.

The laughter of the kids at play and muttered chatter from the adults was cut off by confused gasps as a low rumbling steadily grew louder, and the ground began to shake violently causing several to stumble trying to stay on their feet.

What sounded like an explosion going off behind Magnus caused the warlock to jump to his feet, his dinner falling and spilling over the stone pavement. He hastily spun and watched as one of the apartment buildings across the street came tumbling down.

Cries of alarm were starting to sound from the Shadowhunters gathered in the square as the realization of what was happening suddenly registered. More people were streaming out of the Accords Hall and the hospital, pouring into the plaza in a desperate attempt to get out in case those buildings decided to fall like some of the others.

A couple Shadowhunters that Magnus thought he recognized from being on the council with Alec started to wave and direct people to group together near the center of the square to get farther away from the surrounding buildings.

All of this happened in a matter of seconds, but it wasn't until Magnus heard a loud crack to his left that everything seemed to slow down around him. Turning his head, the warlock saw two of the young kids were still huddling under the statute. He stood perplexed for a moment, trying to figure out what the noise had been.

Out of the corner of Magnus' eye, the statute of Raziel seemed to be sliding towards him. At first, it looked as though it must have been some kind of illusion due to the intense shaking - he was also sure that the statue was bolted to the ground. Giving it another look, though, he suddenly realized that it wasn't the pedestal that was moving, but the angel itself, and it was falling right on top of the cowering children.

Without hesitation, Magnus reached out with his magic and pushed the boy and girl out of the way of the falling figure, both kids landing safely on their sides a few feet away from where the angel crashed to the ground.

The ground under their feet stilled seconds later and the world in front of Magnus' eyes returned to its normal speed. With the danger passed, the gathered Shadowhunters paused to check on each other, while Magnus turned his attention back to the collapsed apartment building across the street. Surely there had still been people trapped on the higher floors before the place had fallen; not to mention the other ruined structures around the city.

Knowing that the Inquisitor would be needed here during such an emergency, Magnus pulled out his phone and quickly unlocked it to search through his contacts for his husband's number.

"Warlock," someone growled behind him.

Glancing over his shoulder, Magnus swallowed nervously at the sight of the man in uniform that was glaring daggers at him. "Um, yes?"

The Guard simply pointed at the boy and girl that Magnus had saved from the falling debris. Both kids were currently in tears as they were being comforted by, who he assumed must have been, their mothers.

"Did you just attack those children with your magic?"

Magnus' eyes widened at what the Guard was insinuating, only realizing then how it must have appeared, and desperately shook his head.

"What? No . . . no. It - It wasn't like that. I-"

His words got lodged in his throat when someone behind him wrenched his cell phone out of his grip and he felt his arms getting locked behind his back. Magnus let out a low groan at the familiar feeling of the magic dampening cuff being secured around one of his wrists as well.

"You are under arrest for child endangerment and breaking the Accords."

Only then did the full extent of how badly he had screwed up hit Magnus. Yes, he had only been trying to save two of their future Shadowhunters, but in doing so, he had unintentionally broken the Claves biggest rule.

"It wasn't like that! I swear! I would never harm a child," Magnus tried to explain, but they didn't seem the slightest bit concerned about listening to his explanation, so he changed tactics. "Look, the Inquisitor . . . My husband . . . He's in New York right now on business. If you could just get in touch with him-"

"Someone will be in touch with the Inquisitor shortly to help out with _this_ disaster, I'm sure," the Guard in front of him stated coldly, gesturing to the mess that laid around their city before turning on his heels and leading the way to where Magnus assumed the cells must be located in Alicante.

"This disaster?" Magnus quoted as the two Guards behind him each grabbed ahold of one of his elbows to lead him to his destination. "Are you even going to tell him where I am? After the earthquake . . . Alec will be worried about me. I understand other pressing matters are happening right now, but you are going to tell him what happened, right? Where you are taking me?"

The Guards refused to say another word to him as he was half dragged inside one of the still standing government buildings. Their lack of helpful information didn't aid the unease that was growing under Magnus' skin.

His capturers led him down a semi-lit staircase. The pale light that was radiating from the few and far between light bulbs was letting off an eerie red glow.

Something about it reminded Magnus vaguely of Edom and he felt his heartbeat pick up in his chest at the thought. His mind unwillingly brought back memories of being trapped in the dimension with his father as a child . . . Not to mention his not-so-long-ago sacrifice during the demon attack that took place in this very same city, and believing that he would have to stay there for an eternity to make sure the rift stayed closed.

"Please," Magnus pleaded, hearing the tremor in his voice.

He couldn't even bring himself to be ashamed of the sign of panic in front of these men, too focused on not knowing if Alec was going to be told of his location. He was the only one that could possibly get him out of this situation, after all, and he desperately did not want to be left alone down here. Not after the horror stories he had heard over the years of the torture that sometimes took place to the unlucky Downworlders that found themselves stuck in this prison.

They had finally reached what appeared to be the basement of the structure, and Magnus' breathing became heavier as his panic rose. Hearing the echoing sounds of doors slamming from out of sight, low muttering and moans from the fellow prisons, and the pounding footsteps along the overhead catwalk certainly didn't help.

Coming to an empty cell, the Guard in front of them wrenched open the door with an echoing squeal of the hinges, causing Magnus to flinch before being roughly shoved forward into the space. The men stayed long enough to unlock the handcuffs from his wrists, unsurprisingly leaving the dampening cuff secured in place, before heading back out of the cell without a word.

The sound of a key turning in the lock vibrated in Magnus' ears as he pounced on the door, banging fiercely on the surface.

"Please . . . Please, I want to see my husband!"

* * *

"Horace, Clive, and Delaney are secured in their cells," Jace informed Alec and Isabelle as he strolled into the meeting room to join them. "When do you want to hold the trial?"

"Hopefully in the next week or so." Alec leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "I still need to update the Silent Brothers and let them know we'll need the Soul Sword here."

"And what about witnesses? Do you have anyone lined up to help defend Magnus for the trial?" Jace asked.

"Diana has already agreed to testify against what she witnessed at the café the day before they held him hostage," Alec explained. "Aline and Helen were there that day as well, but I haven't asked them about speaking up during the trial yet. As for the actual kidnapping and torture . . . The square was deserted at the time of the attack. There is no one to testify against what happened. I mean, besides for Magnus himself."

"And you," Isabelle said nodding at Alec. "Didn't you see them running away from the scene?"

"Yeah, but I can't speak for everything that happened to him. All I saw was one of them throw something at him . . . a tomato I assume, and then Horace started to approach him with a dagger. I called out to them before he could do anything with the weapon and when they saw me coming, they turned and ran."

"But you recognized the assailants as the three men that we currently have locked up in the cells below us?"

Alec nodded at Jace's question. "I definitely saw Horace there. The other two I only caught quick glances of, but none of them tried to deny that they had tormented Magnus when I ordered their arrest. Just that what they did was supposedly in defense of the public."

Isabelle studied her big brother across the table. The man looked exhausted, his eyes filled with concern. "How are you and Magnus holding up?"

Alec sighed. "Okay, I guess, all things considered. Diana has hired Magnus to help out at her shop part-time. It will get him out of the house more during the day and force him to interact with the public. We're hoping it will get the Shadowhunters more accustomed to having him around the city."

Before Jace or Isabelle could say anything else, a familiar fizzing sound drifted towards them and Alec reached out to grab the fire message as it flew by.

"Shit," Alec muttered under his breath as he quickly read over the memo that Jia had sent him. "I have to go."

"Is everything okay?" Jace asked, concern in his eyes as he looked up at his parabatai.

"There was an earthquake in Idris," Alec explained quickly as he made his way out of the meeting room, Jace and Isabelle close on his heels. "Apparently it was a pretty powerful one. A couple buildings collapsed during it. I need to get back and help organize a rescue mission to help search for any survivors."

"By the angel," Isabelle cursed softly. "Was Magnus there when it happened?"

"He was supposed to be helping Diana this afternoon," Alec said, trying to remain calm at the mention of his husband. "I don't know when he was scheduled to get off. He may have been back inside the loft by the time it hit."

Hurrying down the hallway, Alec turned left into his old office; Isabelle's office now. A translucent blue barrier shimmered as Alec walked through the entryway, activating the instant portal that Magnus had setup to open when it sensed his presence in the room; his own personal gateway between New York and Idris.

"Do you want us to come with you?" Jace voiced his concern as he eyed the portal.

"Please," Alec said, sending a pleading look towards his parabatai, who nodded once in assurance. The Inquisitor then turned to address his sister. "If you're needed here, I understand-"

"Don't even try it, Alec." Isabelle glared at her brother. "Magnus is our friend. We're not going to leave you to fret alone. Not if there is even the slightest chance that our brother-in-law is in trouble."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

One moment, Alec was standing in his quiet, old New York office and the next, he was stepping through the portal into absolute chaos.

Shadowhunters were running in all directions, some dragging young children behind them; shouts and cries of fear and misery seemed to vibrate in the air. Off in the distance, Alec blinked in alarm at the change in scenery.

The portal had let them out by the front entrance to the hospital, which, thank the angels, was still standing, but he couldn't say the same for the rest of Idris. Taking in the panic that surrounded him, Alec glanced to his right, his breath catching in his throat at the sight.

Normally, over the hedges and trees that lined the perimeter of Angel Square, Alec would have been able to see a row of huge standing offices and a few apartment buildings. Now, the view over the vegetation was . . . bare. None of the structures that had once lined that block remained. He shuddered at the thought of all the destruction that must have lain across the city.

"So much for 'great and powerful'," Jace mumbled beside him. "Half of these Shadowhunters are running around like chickens with their heads cut off."

"There's Jia," Isabelle said, pointing towards a group of Shadowhunters that were starting to gather under the stairs outside of the Accords building.

"At least all of the government buildings seemed to have made it through the earthquake," Alec noted as the three of them made their way over to the growing group.

The Inquisitor waited until they got closer before calling out to his respected consul member. Jia quietly excused herself from the crowd to step aside and consult with Alec, Jace, and Isabelle alone.

"How bad is it?" Alec asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"Luckily most of the damage seems to have only affected our taller structures, like the office buildings, leaving the majority of everything else intact. A few of the businesses closer to the river collapsed as well, and I've heard some say that a sinkhole opened up in the shopping center to the south," Jia explained quickly, nodding in the direction where Alec had first noticed the odd opening across the street that usually had huge complexes blocking their view, and he felt his heart rate spike at the news. That was where Diana's shop was located.

"Looks like the statue of Raziel got damaged as well," Jace added, giving Alec the perfect excuse to look away from Jia.

Alec had to force himself to breath. Magnus was fine; he had to be . . . But right now, his fellow Shadowhunters needed him to do his job as their leader. He had to keep himself together long enough to give orders in the result of the current events.

Forcing a few deep breaths into his lungs, Alec waited a few seconds until he thought he was calm enough to speak without his voice shaking before turning back to Jia.

"Start organizing the search parties," he ordered. "Six to eight in each group. We are going to need an extensive search of the wreckage of the office and apartment complexes. That's probably where the majority of the people were during the earthquake. Send a few smaller groups to the shopping centers. We'll also need some people to go over to check out the sinkholes. See if anything can be done to repair them." Jia started to turn away before Alec called her back. "Make sure you tell everyone to be careful climbing over the rubble and unstable debris. The last thing we need right now is more injuries."

With a subtle nod, Jia rejoined the crowd that was quickly growing in front of the government building and started to relay the instructions.

"Alec?" Jace asked, his voice dripping with concern as his hand drifted over his abdomen where his parabatai rune laid under his jacket. "What's wrong?"

"Magnus," Alec breathed out, trying to keep his panic in check. "Jia said . . . The sinkholes appeared in the shopping center to the south. That's where Diana's weapon shop is located. I-"

Alec was interrupted by the sound of Isabelle's cell phone going off. He received an apologetic look from his sister before she gave a quick glance at the ID and answered the device.

"Hey, Simon," Isabelle said into the phone. A short pause followed, and the look on her face fell. "By the angel . . . Simon, I'm sorry. I completely forgot about our date tonight. Something came up in Idris." Another pause. "An earthquake. Several buildings collapsed in the city. I'll probably have to stay here for at least a couple of hours to help the search parties go through the rubble." A soft sigh left Isabelle's lips at Simon's next words. "Simon, that's not funny . . ."

Jace huffed. "What now?"

The woman angled the phone away from her mouth, keeping the top of the device covering her ear. She gave a slight roll to her eyes. "He said that if the council was smart they would call in a few Downworlders to help out with the search. With their strength, speed, and heightened senses they could be an asset and help to locate survivors."

Alec's head snapped up at the idea and he locked eyes with his sister. Isabelle frowned, recognizing that look from her big brother.

"No, Alec . . . Everyone is already anxious and on high alert due to the current state of things. Adding Downworlders into the mix among racist Shadowhunters . . ." Isabelle shook her head. "This isn't the time to try and integrate Downworlders into Alicante."

"Or this could be the perfect opportunity to do it," Alec pressed, gesturing around at their hectic scenery. "We have a city full of desperate Shadowhunters needing help to find their friends and loved ones. The reason why they are so intolerant of Downworlders is because many of them have segregated themselves from them for years by living here. All the stories they hear are usually the bad events; the attacks and Downworlders standing against Shadowhunters all over the world. They don't hear many of the stories about them helping us and being supportive of the Institutes. They need to witness that side of the Downworlder population for themselves and this would be a great chance for them to see the good that they are capable of. Not only that, but considering the panic that is going through the citizens right now, they will probably be more prone to accepting the help from people that they would normal shun away from."

Isabelle nodded slowly as these words sank in before replying, "Yeah, Simon, I'm still here. Hang on a second," into the phone that was still in her hand. Turning back to her brother she asked, "So, what do you want me to tell him?"

"Ask him to get in contact with Raphael. Have them gather a few of their most trusted vampires to portal here, to Idris, to help us out with locating survivors. Then call Meliorn and have him do the same with the Seelies." Alec turned to the blonde that was waiting patiently on his other side. "Jace, call Luke and ask him to get his pack together to help out. I'll get in contact with Lorenzo."

Pulling his phone out of his pocket, Alec sent off a quick text to Magnus' High Warlock replacement back in New York. By the time he glanced up again, Jace and Isabelle were busy on their own devices a few feet away from him, following out his orders.

While he waited for his sister and parabatai to finish, Alec decided to inform Jia about the additional helpers that were on their way, as well as instructing her to put Jace and Isabelle as leaders of a couple of the groups. She didn't seem extremely thrilled about the idea of Downworlders joining the search, but to her credit, she did agree to include the new recruits into the groups she was organizing.

He was just about to turn around to head back to Isabelle and Jace when he spotted a familiar silver koi fish tattoo in the crowd.

"Diana," Alec called, hurrying over to her.

"Alec," she greeted him as he approached, and nodded at the scene around them. "Some mess we got here, huh?"

"Yeah," Alec replied, not fully comprehending her words at the moment. "Was Magnus with you when the earthquake hit? He said he was going to be helping you out at the store today."

Alec's heart dropped watching Diana's eyes grow wide in concern. "You haven't found him yet?"

"No, I just got back from New York a few minutes ago . . . He wasn't with you?"

Diana shook her head. "I sent him home about half an hour before the earthquake hit."

"Oh, God," Alec faltered, temporarily forgetting how to breathe. "He could have been back at the loft by then."

"Was your apartment one of the buildings that collapsed?"

"I - I don't know."

Staring over the heads of the Shadowhunters around them, Alec craned his neck in the direction that their apartment complex resided in. He knew it was probably pointless to try though. Their home was still a few blocks from Angel Square. Odds are he wouldn't have been able to see it over the trees, even if it was still standing . . . Still, the landscape did look pretty bare of architectural structures in that direction.

* * *

Magnus paced back-and-forth inside the small confinement of his four walls.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed since he had been thrown into the cell, but he was sure Alec had to have returned to Alicante by now. Even if his husband hadn't been informed of his current circumstances, somebody would have contacted him about the natural disaster that had erected havoc across the city.

Pausing in his trek, the warlock tugged absent-mindedly at the bracelet that was almost cutting off the circulation in his wrist. On some level, he was surprised that the guards had left the magic dampening cuff on him after getting him to his prison cell.

This cellblock was known for imprisoning both Shadowhunters and Downworlders alike. They should have had other means in place; rather it have been wards or some other magical installment, to keep him imprisoned without fearing he would escape by using his powers. The cuff shouldn't have been necessary in here, although, it wouldn't have surprised him if the guards had simply meant for it to be yet another way to torture him.

With a sigh, Magnus slowly approached the metal door and ran his fingers over the surface. Just on the other side of it laid his freedom . . . and Alec.

Well, behind the stupid locked door, and the eerily red dimmed hallway, that is. A shiver ran up Magnus' spine as the memories of Edom threatened to invade his head once again, but he quickly shoved the thoughts to the back of his mind. Torturing himself with his past memories wasn't going to help him right now, and yet there wasn't much else to do in here then to lose himself in his thoughts. . . That was a dangerous place for him to travel at a time like this.

Turning away from the door, and with a slight hesitation, he took a seat on the dirty old mattress that lay on the floor along the opposite wall that was supposed to serve as his bed during his time here. Perched on the edge of the disgusting cushion, Magnus rested his feet on the cement floor underneath him and pulled his legs close to his chest. Folding his arms across his knees, the warlock rested his chin on his hands for a moment before dropping his forehead there instead.

Closing his eyes, he desperately tried to drown out the echoing sounds of the slamming doors and the moans of his neighboring prisoners. He could have sworn he could even hear the steady dripping of water from somewhere close by; a faucet maybe.

Magnus jumped at the sudden loud bang that came from somewhere down the hallway on the other side of the door, followed by the pounding and rattling footsteps of someone running down the catwalk above him.

He was surprised when his vision started to blur and he felt a few tears sliding down his cheeks.

He wanted to go home.

He wanted his husband.

Alexander . . .


End file.
